Through Your Door
by WaffleDogOfficial
Summary: A shinobi must not value himself but rather adhere to his village's ideals. A shinobi must always put the mission first. A shinobi must never show any weakness. Jinchuuriki are tied down by a long list of both written and unwritten rules of things that they aren't supposed to do. Playing Peek-a-Boo with the vessel of the Kyuubi is probably at the top of that list. [X-posted on Ao3]
1. The End of Tears

**Updated on February 2, 2020. The author's notes are at the bottom because they're long.**

**In which Fuu makes a new friend and Roshi babysits.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu cried for a week after Kushina died.

Her handlers didn't know how to handle her tears. For the first few days, they indulged her. They suspended her training and sent her to the hospital, believing she was ill and fearing her seal had weakened. However, after a clean bill of health, she was sent back the next day.

When asked, Fuu could only explain that she was sad. When they asked for a reason why, however, she couldn't answer and she was too young to invent a good lie. No one except the other jinchuuriki knew about the Room that connected them to each other. So when they asked for a reason, she could only respond with 'I don't know,' which only made her handlers angrier.

Besides, with her four-year-old vocabulary, what could she say? How her heart felt empty? How she would never again hear Kushina's voice? How Kushina was the first person outside of her mother to ever let her sit on her lap? How Kushina always smiled at her, even when all she did was complain about her training? How she would never ever see her again?

For the past few months, Kushina had been showing up in the Room more and more often, each time with a bigger belly. She cooed at Fuu, lifting her up and making her laugh. A few times, she had peered through the window of the One-Tail Jinchuuriki and tried to communicate with it, a frown on her face. According to her, the vessel was too young to join the Room and its handlers were not taking good care of him.

Kushina had explained that she was going to have a son. She had told Fuu that she wanted her son to be as beautiful and talented as Fuu was. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.

She said the baby was going to be named Naruto. Fuu wondered what had happened to her son. Did the baby die with Kushina? Or was the baby alive and safe somewhere? She hoped that whatever happened to Naruto, he would grow up happy and loved.

Fuu had no idea how Kushina died. For the months leading up to her death, Kushina's aura emanating from her Door had shined with happiness, mixed with a little fear. On the day of her death, Fuu had felt pain tinged with excitement in anticipation of giving birth. That was soon followed by panic and fear that ended only with her death.

Kushina's death was the worst thing that has ever happened in her short life. Even the pain of sealing the Nanabi last year paled in comparison to the deep aching sorrow in her young heart.

She had cried almost non-stop since then. She couldn't say anything to her handlers about Kushina either.

And because Fuu couldn't explain anything, her handlers got more frustrated by the minute. They commanded her to stop sobbing and get back to work on her katas. But she couldn't. It hurt too much.

Finally, after a week of crying and doing mediocre katas with eyes blurred by tears, her primary instructor, Suien, slapped her across the face.

"Weapons aren't supposed to have feelings!" he screamed.

Even with the bijuu in her body, the slap stung and she fell to the ground. It didn't take long to heal and the pain faded after a few seconds- one of the few benefits to being a jinchuuriki. She wanted to rebel. She knew Kushina would have stood up for herself because that's the kind of person she had been.

But Fuu couldn't. She was a little girl, scared, and confused. With no way to fight back, she wiped the tears from her eyes and began practicing her katas again. Suien rolled his eyes but said nothing else as she got started on her routine.

While the sting of Suien's slap faded thanks to her bijuu, the pain in her heart didn't leave. It waited.

That night, Fuu cried herself to sleep and appeared in front of her green Door in the Room. She hadn't visited the Room since the night before Kushina died. She had expected the room to be empty. Instead, the short red-haired man, whom she had never talked to, was standing in the middle of the room. He was doing some katas with a long wooden staff.

_Kushina liked asking him for recipes_, she remembered.

She looked around the Room more. Her eyes widened when she looked at Kushina's familiar Door.

Kushina's Door, which had once glowed a bright red, was now glowing a soft orange. She wondered who the new vessel was. She hoped that they would be as kind as Kushina had been.

She knew that the newest jinchuuriki's connection to the Room had not finalized yet, however. If it was anything like her own experience, it would take at least a few weeks for the newest vessel to join them.

The red-headed man nodded at her with acknowledgment but said nothing. Except for Kushina, all of the jinchuuriki preferred to spend their time alone. They rarely talked to each other beyond basic pleasantries or covert threats. The shadows of the Shinobi Wars were too large to ignore, even in times of peace. Fuu had been created after the Third War, but the others had been part of rival villages for decades

Even with her limited life experience, Fuu knew that she should never ask any other jinchuuriki personal questions. The only ones they could possibly trust were the ones from the same village. But Takigakure only had one jinchuuriki and she was alone there, too.

Instead of greeting the man, Fuu went and sat down in front of him. He had so much control and power behind his strikes that it was hypnotic. She could tell it was a kata that he had done thousands of times until he perfected the rhythm. The man raised his eyebrows for a second to look at her but didn't protest as he continued his kata.

The unlikely pair stayed like that for a long time, silent except for the grunts of effort when he swung his staff. Other than the nod and the raised eyebrow, the man continued his routine as if he were alone in the Room.

As she pulled her knees up to her chest, Fuu wished that she hadn't come to the Room. She felt more alone than ever. The Room was the place where she met Kushina, the woman Fuu admired and who took care of her. The woman who wiped her tears and let her sit on her lap. Who taught her a children's song from Uzushio. The only one who cared about her as a person. Who made her feel like being a jinchuuriki was a _good _thing. Who told her that she needed to fill her life with _love_.

But Kushina would never spend time with her again, and Fuu would be alone for the rest of her life. If even her fellow villagers hated her, how could anyone love her? Before she knew it, Fuu was bawling again.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Roshi stopped in the middle of the kata and looked at the small child. He knew that the girl had been close to Kushina. He had heard them chattering with each other often, annoyingly keeping him awake at night. His own relationship with Kushina had been distant yet respectful.

It wasn't easy to put away Village Rivalries, despite having had a shared background as a vessel. Kushina had asked about life before the Second Shinobi War. In turn, he had sometimes share recipes from Iwagakure. They had exchanged words once or twice a month at most.

However, since the little girl had joined the room, tiny and terrified, Kushina had taken her under her wing. Kushina had soothed her fears and comforted her at night. He wasn't surprised her death had such an impact on her. He hadn't expected Kushina to die so suddenly either, considering it was a time of peace.

Roshi hesitated only a second before he squatted down next to the girl. He put his calloused hand on her tiny shoulder and tried to think of a way to cheer her up, even though he had no idea how. Kushina would have screamed at him for letting a little girl cry though. He needed to try.

"Hey girl," he muttered._ I'm going to frighten her. _On her part, the girl only continued bawling. He didn't know if she was actually crying harder or if he was imagining it.

"It's okay, it's okay," he continued nervously, "it's okay to cry you know. The shinobi code says we aren't supposed to cry, but you're not a shinobi yet, so the rules don't apply to you. Besides, Kushina-san wouldn't have wanted to see you cry all the time."

_She's definitely crying harder than before._

What was he supposed to say? He had never comforted a little girl before. Or anyone, actually. Most of the time, looking at his face sent the most hardhearted jounin running away. He had made more people cry in one week than he had ever comforted in his life. However, his new mission was to make a little girl stop crying._ Maybe some misdirection could work?_

"So, kid," he started, "what's your name, anyway?"

The girl took a second to wipe her nose with her forearm before answering.

"Fuu," she whispered, her large orange eyes shiny and full of tears. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing, but at least she was willing to talk.

"My name's Roshi," he answered the unasked question. "Nice to meet you."

He extended his hand to for her to shake. She hesitated a second before putting her tiny palm inside his hand. He squeezed her hand and sat down next to her, still holding on to her.

"Nice to meet you, too," she whispered.

She had stopped sobbing, although a few tears rolled down her cheeks and her voice was strained. They sat together for a few moments in companionable silence, with Fuu holding Roshi's warm hand. Fuu's breathing slowed down to smaller hiccups until she finally quieted completely. To Roshi's dismay, however, her orange eyes remained dangerously damp.

"Have you looked through the window of the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki yet?" he finally asked when she wiped away the last of the tears. She shook her head. She was too short to look through the window without help and she hadn't been in the Room for over a week.

"Well, in that case, let's go see together," he said. Still holding hands, they stood up. Effortlessly, Roshi picked her up and put her on his hip. He could tell that the girl was unused to being carried. All the jinchuuriki were. Even as a young boy, his handlers would never carry him. Instead, they had forced him to walk or run on his own, no matter how tired he felt or how young he was.

Being carried probably also reminded her of Kushina. They might not have talked often, but he had seen Kushina's devotion, especially after she got pregnant. She had even confided that she was looking forward to being a mother, despite her status as a jinchuuriki. He wondered how often jinchuuriki became parents anyway.

With the girl on his hip, he walked to the door that represented the Kyuubi's vessel. He peered through the window and moved her face closer.

"Look, Fuu," he said as he pointed through the window. "You can see what the other host sees. The other host can block the sight from the others if they want. But since this is a new jinchuuriki, they still haven't figured out how to do it."

Together, the man and the little girl peered through the window. To his surprise, he could only see the basic outlines of creatures that seemed to slowly move in front of its eyes. _A baby mobile?_

"Roshi-san, why is everything so blurry?" Fuu asked.

"This jinchuuriki is still very young," he explained. "Their vision hasn't fully developed yet. I'm guessing the new host of the Kyuubi is a newborn baby."

_Just like with the One-Tail. _Were the villages making their weapons younger and younger? It was a little worrying. Yugito and Fuu had at least been out of diapers when they were created.

"So it's a baby?"

"Yeah, a baby."

Roshi touched the door of the host. It was usually the only way to have direct contact with another jinchuuriki when they weren't in the Room.

_'Hello, child, how are you?' _The baby stirred and their vision moved around the room, looking for the source of the new mysterious voice.

"Here, Fuu-chan, touch the door. Send the baby a message." Fuu didn't hesitate and placed her tiny hand on the window next to Roshi's. Roshi guessed she had communicated with Kushina like that before.

_'Hello, Baby! What's your name?' _Fuu already sounded a lot more cheerful.

The baby, of course, couldn't understand. Nevertheless, both of them received a vague expression of happiness. Hearing mysterious voices was probably the most exciting thing that had ever happened in its young life.

_'What have you been doing in your life? Is your mommy nearby? Do you have a mommy? I have a mommy but she's busy on a mission now that I'm a jinchuuriki. She says I have to be strong and listen to my teacher but the teachers are mean and I don't like when they hit me. If you have mean teachers, make sure you hit them back! Oh, are you a boy or a girl? Because I want a little sister, but if you are a boy, it's okay too. But you have to be nice to girls! If you're not nice to girls, I will hit you, even if you are a baby!'_

_The girl sure looks happier._

He looked at the girl on his hip. Fuu smiled as she mentally talked a mile a minute to their tiny new companion. Although the newborn was still too young to respond, Roshi could tell it enjoyed Fuu's company. If it was being raised like most jinchuuriki, Roshi doubted it was receiving good care. He guessed the infant was receiving the bare minimum amount of attention to keep it alive.

He wondered who the new host was. Usually, they could tell in advance when a jinchuuriki was going to leave the Room forever, whether it was through age or war. However, Kushina's death was sudden and unexpected. A newborn was unexpected too, especially considering Kushina's condition at the time of her death. If he were a betting man, he would say the newest jinchuuriki was Kushina's child. However, there was no way to prove that until the baby joined them in the Room.

Roshi and Fuu sat down in front of the Door for a while longer, talking about everything and anything that sprung to mind. Or at least Fuu did. Roshi mostly sent vague messages of cheer that the baby seemed to enjoy anyway. They didn't leave until the newborn fell asleep, a feeling of safety and comfort spread from the jinchuuriki's Door.

Fuu, who had at one point moved to sit on his lap smiled at the Door. She sent the baby a final message.

_'Sleep well,'_ she said.

The pair stood up and Roshi and Fuu finally separated as he set her down on the floor.

"Goodnight, girl, you have a long day tomorrow I'm sure," he told her.

"I will! And you too, Roshi-sama. Sleep well!" Her eyes were still full of grief about Kushina's death, but the smile she gave him was honest and optimistic.

She disappeared from the room as she waved goodbye. He shook his head. _How did I ever get put in babysitting duty? I only wanted to practice this form before going to sleep, dammit!_

Roshi gave one last look at the new vessel's Door before walking away to inspect the rest of the Room. Except for the youngest ones, the other jinchuuriki had formed mental barriers to protect their privacy. Because of that, he couldn't see through any other Doors except for those of the youngest three.

So instead of trying to spy on his fellow hosts, Roshi glanced at the Door of the One-Tail Jinchuuriki. As one of the few to visit the Room with regularity, Kushina had mentioned in passing that the baby seemed to be in a lot of pain and suffering. Sometimes, she had tried to communicate with the mysterious jinchuuriki of the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails. If they ever answered or even acknowledged her, Roshi would probably never know.

_Kushina was probably the only one of us that ever talked to the other baby._

The thought did strange things to his conscience. Before he could reconsider, he was standing in front of the One-Tail Jinchuuriki's Door. Peering through the window, he could see that this baby was older than the newest host. Instead of blurry black and white shapes, he could see colors and the shapes of things. Based on the point of view, the baby was seated on the floor and surrounded by toys and stuffed animals._ Maybe this baby is not being treated as badly as the other one?_

Roshi touched the Door. Instinctively, he flinched and pulled his hand away. The child was exhausted and in extreme pain, unable to deal with that and confused about where the pain was coming from. It made him want to throw up. How could a tiny baby deal with this level of suffering?

He put his hand back on the Door, that time ready to feel and absorb some of the baby's emotions.

_'I'm here, child. Let me take some of the pain away.'_

Roshi concentrated and was able to absorb the negative feelings into himself. Compared to what he experienced during the Shinobi Wars, the pain was nothing. However, for a child, let alone a baby, the pain was excruciating. The infant needed all the help it could get. Unfortunately, this solution was temporary at best, since Roshi could only mitigate the pain. There was no way for Roshi to take away the source of pain when the two were so far away from each other.

From the other side of the Door, the baby tilted its head, as if the reduction of its suffering had never happened before. It probably hadn't.

_'Hello, baby. Are you feeling better now? A child your age shouldn't feel so much pain.'_

His messages reached the target. However, as with the newborn, the jinchuuriki was too young to understand his words. It could understand the sentiment, though, because Roshi received an emotional expression of joy. Roshi couldn't help but smile in pleasure.

He could tell that the baby was exhausted. He would say it was chakra exhaustion but he had never had to worry about that in his life. He also doubted any jinchuuriki could even run out of chakra. He was sure that whatever was hurting the child was also keeping him from sleeping for long.

He sent the host a few more messages. He tried to be positive while at the same time trying to absorb some of the negative energy away. Roshi kept talking by the Door for a while- an hour, according to his internal clock. He almost didn't notice when someone else joined the room. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was Han, the Five-Tails jinchuuriki.

While Roshi was short, Han towered over him at over seven feet tall. His broad shoulders and armor only made him look bigger and more intimidating. He was also the oldest of the jinchuuriki, having seen dozens of hosts come and go during the shinobi wars. Some jinchuuriki hadn't even lasted a week before dying and getting transferred to a new poor bastard.

But Han was a friend. Possibly, he was Roshi's only friend considering their shared disdain for the Tsuchikage. Han had taught Roshi how to be a shinobi. For that alone, Roshi was grateful.

Han walked over to stand next to Roshi in front of the One-Tail Jinchuuriki's door. Han could see that he was touching the door to communicate with the baby. He raised an eyebrow as he stared down at Roshi.

"I've been stuck with babysitting duty, it seems," Roshi complained. "For some reason, being possessed by a monkey demon is not enough to get out of taking care of little tiny babies."

"Are you talking about your bijuu or are you describing yourself?" Han teased. Roshi glared at him but without any rancor.

Han gave a small chuckle as he went to put his hand on the door next to Roshi's.

_'Hello, baby. Will you be joining us soon in the Room?'_ Even mentally, Han's voice was strong and calming.

Based on what they could see through the window, the appearance of a second voice delighted the child. It started to giggle. Roshi gave a satisfied smile. He didn't think he had ever heard a baby laugh before.

Han appeared calmer than he had seen him since Kushina died. His eyes were relaxed and he seemed to be absorbing some of the child's pain as well. The two stood together in silence that was usual for the two men- of a friendship so strong it transcended words.

They stood like that for a few hours longer, giving a little comfort to the child in silence. Eventually, however, they left the Room and headed back to their lives as weapons of Iwagakure.

**O-O-O-O-O**

When Fuu woke up, she didn't feel like crying anymore. Thinking about Kushina still hurt and she knew that part of her heart would always feel empty when thinking about her. But for now, she was ready to move on with her life. She wanted to meet the little baby soon.

She left her bed to get ready for the day. She had taijutsu katas to complete and she knew Suien would be even more strict and vindictive than normal. Nevertheless, she got dressed, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and washed her face.

Kushina might be dead, but she was still there. The only thing she could do was keep going.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Sorry for this long-ass Author's Note. The TLDR version is that this story has been edited from the original. It now reads (I hope) more fluidly.**

**First of all, thanks so much to modoribashi on AO3 for helping me beta this work. Also HUGE thanks to Amationary and LegancyZ for helping me edit this monstrosity. I don't know how I could ever repay you. TT_TT**

**The cover art was done by the wonderful Caroliaa on Deviant art. They're great! (Link on my profile)**

**On romance/shipping: There will be minor background (non-canon) relationships in this work. Some of those relationships and characters will be LGBT/Queer because I am a gay (TM). If you are curious, Sasuke/Naruto is the biggest ones. However, there will be a few other minor background relationships, such as Ino/Sakura.**

**ALL the romance will be in the background though, so even when I get to those parts, it won't dominate the story. There is also absolutely NO SHIPPING between the jinchuuriki. They're a family first and foremost.**

_**Finally**_**, if you want, you can contact me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. I'm ready and willing to answer questions or talk there.**

**Next chapter: rumors spread about the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki.**


	2. Enter Naruto Uzumaki

**In which rumors spread, Naruto links up, Roshi gets a nickname, and Yugito entertains a baby.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

The caretakers at the orphanage were terrified of the Nine-Tailed Fox's container.

During the day, its behavior was normal. It cried and slept as often as normal infants. However, it was almost always quiet at night. On the few occasions that it did cry, it quieted quickly. A few times, they caught it looking up at the air as if someone was there. Other times, they saw it lying in silence as if listening to someone talking. As it grew, it began to smile and giggle at the air.

The caretakers whispered among one another that they were taking care of a monster. Some wondered if the minds of the baby and the fox had blended together and created a new half-human, half-demon creature. Others worried that the evil fox had taken over the infant's mind. The most radical ones argued that the fox had used a henge to disguise itself and was waiting to destroy Konoha.

If it weren't for the constant presence of ANBU and the Hokage's orders, the caretakers might have tried to get rid of it. However, no one wanted to try anything when the orphanage was already under so much scrutiny.

Instead, they whispered, spreading rumors throughout the village that the child was a monster. Only the Hokage's threat of capital punishment stopped the rumors from spreading. At that point, however, it was too late. All the adults of Konohagakure already knew about the new jinchuuriki.

The container itself, Naruto, didn't care or understand the political situation yet. While he could not see his mysterious companions, their presence made him happy in a world that wanted nothing to do with him.

**O-O-O-O-O**

After his first meeting with Fuu, Roshi decided to visit the Room as often as he could. Almost every night, Fuu joined him before she fell into a deep sleep. The duo talked to the babies through the night, waiting for them to finalize their mental link. Based on past experience, Roshi told Fuu the process usually took between a few months to a year.

They always visited the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki first. Roshi picked Fuu up so that she could look through the baby's window and into its life. Fuu talked a mile a minute while Roshi stayed silent, only communicating when Fuu was quiet. To his relief, she was never quiet.

As time passed, the baby's vision improved and they could see the everyday world of the child. Other than the baby mobile, the environment was sparse, even by ninja standards. The child didn't have any toys in its crib and didn't seem to get a lot of attention. It was always happy whenever they talked to it, at least.

After visiting the youngest vessel, the two made time to talk to the other child, the container of the Ichibi. Roshi opened the link first. He had explained to Fuu that the baby was suffering and touching the Door without mental preparation would hurt. Roshi absorbed some of the pain before he would allow Fuu to place her tiny hand on the Door.

They learned a lot about the other baby as he learned how to walk and talk. Sometimes he asked them for food or milk, forgetting that they weren't actually there. They learned the vessel's name after Fuu asked: Gaara. He was quiet and shy, preferring to listen instead of talk. He had a male caretaker named Yashamaru and lived in Sunagakure. His favorite toy was a brown teddy bear. Gaara seemed to be happy when they just talked about whatever came to mind.

Fuu chatted away at Gaara, who always listened with rapt attention. However, Roshi's mind wandered whenever she started telling a story. Fuu tended to get side-tracked by minor details and never reached a conclusion in her stories. But Gaara liked listening to her talk, so Roshi encouraged her while letting his own mind wander.

Fuu always left first since she was young and needed more sleep- real sleep- than Roshi did. Roshi always stayed longer with Gaara after that, telling him about his past missions. It was forbidden to talk about classified missions, but Roshi didn't care. He hated Iwagakure and Onoki. The Tsuchikage could burn in hell for all he cared. Besides, Gaara wouldn't remember or care about missions from other villages.

Roshi and Fuu maintained their routine for six more months before the youngest jinchuuriki finally decided to appear.

Roshi was alone in the Room, talking with Gaara after Fuu left to sleep. Gaara liked listening to his stories about the Third Shinobi War. He changed "stabbing" for "hugging" in his stories though.

He was in the middle of recounting one of his exploits at Kannabi Bridge when Roshi heard cries from behind him. When he turned around, he saw a blond baby in the middle of the Room. Roshi almost panicked before he remembered that he was talking to Gaara. The boy suffered enough as it was without adding panic to it.

_'Hey Gaara-chan,' _he said forcing his voice to stay calm. _'Something came up, I have to leave a little early. But I will finish the story later. Take care.'_

Roshi waited a few seconds, in case Gaara panicked before disconnecting. The boy seemed a little confused about the sudden departure but not upset. Roshi sighed in relief and pulled his hand away, severing communication.

He turned around to look at the crying baby. It must have appeared, looked around the Room and panicked about being alone in an unfamiliar place. Roshi sighed again before hurrying over to the child. He remembered his first time linking up to the Room at the age of six. He still remembered the experience as confusing and not fun.

He squatted down and picked up the infant. It seemed to weigh almost nothing. For a second he realized how fragile babies were. Fuu felt delicate too and he had to be careful not to push or pull her too hard when he picked her up or held her hand. In comparison, carrying a baby felt like a more delicate operation than trying to walk across a room full of explosive tags. He hoped he wouldn't drop it.

"It's okay child, I'm here, it's okay." He began to say empty nothings to the child, murmuring in a soft voice. The baby quieted down almost immediately after being picked up. It seemed to recognize his voice as it looked up. Roshi smiled and the baby copied him, showing a mouth with only two tiny bottom teeth.

The resemblance to Kushina was uncanny. Although the coloring was different, they both had the same round face and the same jawline, eyes, and nose. He had guessed the child was Kushina's before, though. Uzumaki clan genes were highly compatible with bijuu and Kushina had been ready to burst at the time of her death. He guessed that after she died in childbirth, her son was the only option once the Kyuubi was released.

Roshi placed the child in the crook of his elbow and started to rock him like he had seen some civilians do. No one had been there for him the first time he entered the Room, alone and terrified. Comforting Kushina's child was the least he could do to honor her memory. The baby seemed a lot happier once it was getting attention and began to make little babbling noises.

_I have to get Fuu_._ If she learns I didn't tell her when the baby arrived, she might kick me. Or worse, cry._

With the baby in his arms, Roshi walked over to Fuu's glowing green Door.

It could be difficult to pull another jinchuuriki into the Room once they had entered deep sleep. However, he suspected it wouldn't be a problem for her. She had been looking forward to meeting the baby for too long to not get excited, even subconsciously. He put his hand on her Door.

_'Hey butterfly, guess who decided to show up? If you want to see the baby, you need to come into the room as fast as you can. I don't know how long it will want to stay here.'_

Roshi felt her excitement as his message reached Fuu's subconscious and woke her up. He looked down at the baby in his arms once again before sitting down cross-legged in front of Fuu's Door. The baby tried to pull at his beard and he bent his head down to be closer. He couldn't help but admit that the baby was pretty cute, especially with the whisker marks. _A side effect of the Kyuubi I guess._

Seconds after he sent the message to wake her, Fuu's mind sprung forth from her Door. She rushed to his side and began talking to the baby without pause. _Poor kid, she's going to be exhausted tomorrow, she's not used to sleeping so little yet._

"Wow! The baby is so cute!" Fuu exclaimed as she bent down to look closer, "Yes! I hope we can be friends!"

The baby seemed to recognize her voice as well because it smiled and made more noises. Fuu giggled as she crawled to sit on Roshi's lap. She continued to talk to the baby, repeating the same story from earlier. The baby didn't care about repeated stories, though. It instead looked content to be getting undivided attention.

"Roshi-san," Fuu began. Roshi grunted to show he was listening. "What do you think the baby's name is? Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

Roshi thought for a few seconds before answering. While he had seen the connection between Kushina's death and the jinchuuriki's birth, Fuu hadn't. _She doesn't realize the baby is Kushina's._

"I don't know," he answered, "Didn't Kushina-san tell you what her baby was going to be?"

Fuu looked at him in confusion before her eyes widened in understanding and excitement. Sometimes what seemed obvious to him was a mystery to her.

"This is Kushina's baby boy?!" she shouted with a grin on her face.

"Most likely, too many factors to be a coincidence." Roshi nodded. "What did Kushina-san tell you about her baby?"

"Kushina told me she was going to have a son," Fuu answered, "and that his name was Naruto."

_Like the fishcake in ramen? Kushina was way too obsessed with that dish._

"But I wanted a little sister." She pouted for a second before she grinned down at the baby. "I guess having a little brother is okay too because you're cute."

The boy, of course, had no idea what she had said, but he could feel the sentiment and he copied her smile and gurgled.

_Little brother? _Roshi worried that Fuu was getting too invested in her relationships with the other jinchuuriki. The world may have been at peace, but war could break out at any second. Any of them could be forced to fight each other to the death. He worried that he was becoming too attached to the children himself.

While Roshi knew that friendships with foreign ninja could only lead to disaster, Fuu was too young to understand the dangers. But he didn't have the heart to tell her that. _She will learn and I hope she learns that lesson the easy way._

Fuu was too young for battle and talking to the other jinchuuriki was the only thing that brought her happiness. The kage might call them weapons and tools, but Roshi knew that he and his fellow vessels were also human. They all craved companionship and love, and Roshi was no different. For now, he would encourage the two children to spend time together and hope nothing happened to break that bond.

The two continued talking to the baby boy. He seemed more than happy to spend time with them. Trying to make him more comfortable, Roshi conjured a big mattress. He laid the baby down on his belly, watching as he lifted up his head and looked around the Room. Fuu started to tickle him as she continued chattering about her day. Roshi sat down nearby, looking at the two young ones play together.

Based on his internal clock, the baby stayed in the Room for over two hours before finally falling asleep. Immediately afterward, his body disappeared. Fuu and Roshi were left sitting on the conjured mattress.

Fuu looked exhausted. She had already had a full day of training followed by the usual time spent talking to Gaara and Naruto. If her handlers were anything like his had been, he doubted they would be understanding. He didn't think they would be lenient when Fuu was too tired to give her best performance in the morning. _I can sympathize._

Fuu let out a huge yawn of exhaustion.

"I'm sorry Roshi-san," she apologized. "But I'm very tired."

He looked at her and nodded. "I know, butterfly, you should go to sleep. You have a long day tomorrow. Make sure to rest. A tired ninja is a bad ninja."

Fuu smiled at him and threw herself around his neck in a hug before running back to her Door and leaving the Room. Roshi had no time to react at the sudden contact, but he smiled to himself once he was alone.

Roshi considered going to Gaara's Door one last time when he felt Han's presence standing behind him.

"Don't you ever sleep at normal times?" Roshi asked, turning his head around to look up at Han.

"Why do you go to sleep so early? Are you becoming an old man that quickly?" Han retorted in his deep calm voice.

"Fuck you," Roshi replied without heat and flipped him off. One of the advantages of Fuu being asleep meant doing everything uncensored. "I go to sleep early because the girl sleeps early, too," he explained.

Roshi stood up to look up at his friend. _It's unfair that Han is so tall_. Even though they were related by blood, Han was over seven feet tall while Roshi didn't reach the five-foot mark.

"You missed the baby, the girl was very excited about meeting him. She was disappointed when the child turned out to be a boy, though," he said.

"Was the child really-?" Han started.

"Kushina's? Yes, obviously. You know... Uzumaki genes. They have the same face and everything. Although somehow the girl hadn't connected the dots until tonight. His name is probably Naruto, assuming they named him with Kushina's wishes in mind. He seems to be in good enough condition, considering the circumstances. I do wonder who the father is though. The boy is blond and has sky-blue eyes."

Han nodded at Roshi's explanation before his gaze moved to the Door of the Ichibi jinchuuriki. As far as Roshi knew, Gaara had never appeared in the Room. It was possible that he had entered while they were gone. However, he knew they would have felt the child panicking if Gaara had joined and seen nobody there.

"Why do you think this other boy hasn't joined us yet?" Roshi asked as Han stared at the door of the last jinchuuriki.

"I don't know," Han replied. He sounded calm, but after knowing him for decades, Roshi could tell that he was worried about the other child

"It's possible that he has a broken seal," Han guessed. "It's happened before. Inexperienced or arrogant shinobi use rushed or faulty methods to try to contain the bijuu. Considering how young the child is, it seems the most likely option. The younger the jinchuuriki, the more difficult it is to form the seal since babies are very delicate."

"I see," Roshi replied with a huff, "well, considering the pain the child is in, it seems even more likely."

Faulty seals were always a pain in the ass. Only a true master could ever hope to fix or remake it. With Uzushio gone, the hopes of finding such a master were minuscule at best. Usually, villages would extract the bijuu and try again on a new container. However, that always led to the death of the original jinchuuriki. Roshi hoped Sunagakure wouldn't do that. He had grown attached to Gaara, despite himself.

Roshi touched Gaara's Door once again.

_'Gaara-chan, I'm going to leave. I'll finish the story tomorrow. Good night,' _he said.

Gaara parroted his message back, still happy from their previous conversation. Roshi was tired and he had a mission the next day. Plus, he knew Han wanted the Room to practice his taijutsu and kenjutsu.

"Good night, Han." He waved goodbye lazily, leaving the Room before he could hear Han's reply.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu was very happy when Naruto started to appear in the Room at night with regularity.

Roshi always carried them both to Gaara's door so the four of them could talk at once. Fuu always took the lead in the conversation. She liked to "translate" Naruto's unintelligible babbling to Gaara. Gaara always listened intently to everyone, even Naruto

Han, Roshi's friend, sometimes appeared later in the night. He liked to ruffle Fuu's and Naruto's hair and would tell them the rules of being a shinobi.

_A shinobi must prepare before it's too late. A shinobi must see the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings. Misdirection is the sharpest blade._

She got the feeling he wasn't telling them the full list yet. Nevertheless, she appreciated his advice as her own training responsibilities grew.

Rarely, both Iwagakure men were on missions and could not join the Room. On those nights, Fuu entertained Naruto and Gaara by herself. Naruto was easily distracted and he liked playing with frog toys and stuffed animals. He could crawl and sit alone and he was heavy enough that Fuu struggled to hold him for long. Gaara was easier to deal with. He was very quiet, especially for a toddler. He preferred to listen and only asked questions on rare occasions.

Soon after Naruto learned how to crawl, Fuu made it her mission to teach him how to talk. Every night she set him down onto a conjured blanket and knelt in front of him. For weeks, she tried to get him to say his first words without any success.

"Fuu," she said excitedly, "say Fuu!"

Naruto looked at her as if confused but kept his mouth shut. Fuu tried again with the same result. She moaned in exasperation when her latest attempt failed.

"How difficult is it to say Fuu, Roshi-san?!" she complained. "It's easy! Fuu! Fuu! Fuu!"

Naruto giggled at the expressions on her face but didn't try to repeat her name. Roshi leaned in closer and stared down at the infant. Naruto looked at him with wide blue eyes, smiled, and began to babble again. However, that time the babbling sounded like…

"Mama," Naruto said, "mama, mama!"

Roshi froze. Fuu looked at him with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Mama! You have a new name!" Fuu screamed in excitement. Roshi barely suppressed a groan. Fuu could tell, however, that he was secretly happy. Roshi always got a small blush on his cheeks when he was happy. She made a mental note to make sure Gaara started calling him "Mama" too.

**O-O-O-O-O**

_There is a baby in the middle of the training arena._

Yugito was preparing to leap across the Room, claws extended, when the blond baby appeared.

She was on a C-ranked mission with her genin team while B was forced to stay in Kumogakure. She had wanted to practice her taijutsu and B had promised to teach her something new. They had agreed to meet during the day when the other jinchuuriki were unlikely to be there. However, no one had told the child that it was bad manners to interrupt a ninja's training session.

Yugito exchanged glances with B, who was standing on the opposite side of the Room. Together, they stared at the infant lying in the middle. It was looking around as if searching for someone or something.

The baby looked at B first before staring at Yugito. Both of the Kumo ninja stared back without moving. They rarely interacted with children, let alone infants.

It looked around the room once more, now panicked. Yugito's fears came true as the baby began to cry.

B acted first. He leaped over to crouch down and look at the child from a close distance. Unlike Yugito, B had lived a normal life before becoming a jinchuuriki. He had a lot more experience dealing with young children than she did. Yugito walked to B's side to look more closely at the baby.

It was bawling now, tiny fists balled up in frustration as angry tears fell down its cheeks. Yugito guessed it had expected someone else to be in the Room. She presumed one of the Iwagakure men or the little Takigakure girl. She could hear them talking at night before she went to sleep when her mental defenses were at their lowest.

B lifted the baby up gently and rested it on his hip as it continued to bawl. Yugito hoped B knew how to calm down the baby enough so that they could go back to training. Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed when B started rapping instead.

"Oh baby!" B sang. "When you start crying, I feel like dying. You're just a baby, stop crying maybe, yo!"

To her surprise, the baby stopped long enough to give B a confused look before continuing to bawl. If she didn't know better, Yugito would say it's already judged the quality of B's rhymes. She finally retracted the claws on her fingers and slapped B on the shoulder.

"Stop scaring the baby with your terrible rapping," she scolded. "It's obviously looking for that old man from Iwa or the little girl from Taki. It doesn't understand that they're busy during the day."

"Makes sense! But Roshi-sama is not here, yo! We need to get him in the Room, you dumbass phony!"

The baby stopped sobbing to look at B as if he had never seen anything so strange before. To be fair, Yugito agreed that B was pretty strange. The infant started to cry again, though a lot less passionately.

"I think he likes my rapping, kitten," B said with a bright smile.

"No one likes your rapping, B," she replied. "You probably paralyzed it with its sheer awfulness."

B flinched back as if it were the first time she had criticized his abysmal skills.

"So cold, little kitten," he replied, "can't you see the baby is smitten?"

_What are the consequences of killing the Raikage's brother? _She glared at him before stomping toward the Yonbi Jinchuuriki's Door. B was still trying to rap at it, but Yugito refused to listen on principle. The baby had stopped bawling and was letting out sad little sobs instead.

She put her hand on the old man's door to sent him a mental message.

_'Hey, old man, can't you take care of the baby? We're trying to train here, not babysit!' _Yugito yelled at her fellow jinchuuriki.

_'Can't little one, I'm busy on a mission,' _the man replied. To demonstrate, he took down his mental barriers for a brief moment to show her what he saw. He was indeed busy fighting a group of missing-nin with crossed-out Iwagakure hitai-ate. There was no way for him to stop, meditate, and join the Room.

_'Fine, but if B kills the baby with one of his terrible raps, don't blame me,'_ she huffed. She felt the man shudder mentally. Iwa and Kumo ninja might not talk much, but B's rapping was infamous. After all, he liked to use the Room to practice new rhymes.

Yugito looked back at the training area. B was still trying and failing to rap. The baby had stopped crying, although its eyes and cheeks remained damp with tears. It was staring at B with a confused look. She shook her head before trying her luck with the remaining doors.

She tried to connect with the container of the Five-Tailed Beast and with the Takigakure girl. However, the Gobi Jinchuuriki was busy in a meeting with the Tsuchikage. Meanwhile, the girl was training with her jounin instructor, a bitter-looking man. Lastly, the container of the One-Tailed Beast was only a little older than the one currently in the Room. It hadn't finished its connection to the Room yet.

She skipped over the doors that represent the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails Jinchuuriki. As far as she knew, they had never appeared inside the Room or even interacted with any of the other containers. Even Kushina hadn't been able to talk with them, despite her best efforts. Neither she nor B knew anything about them either. They suspected they were from Kirigakure, but there was no way for them to know for sure.

_All I wanted was one uninterrupted training session with B. Is that too much to ask?_

Having exhausted her babysitting options, Yugito resigned herself to taking care of the baby. She walked back to B and the baby, giving out a long sigh. B was sitting on the floor with the child on his lap, staring down in adoration. The baby, by his part, seemed confused by B. _Don't worry, kid, I feel the same way._

Yugito looked closely at the kid. It had wide sky-blue eyes, messy blond hair, and little whisker marks on its cheeks. It looked familiar to Yugito, although she couldn't quite place why.

"Can't we put it in a box or something?" She complained in frustration. She didn't mean it, but B still turned around and stared at her in shock.

"How can you say that, you dumbass phony?!" he said with a gasp. "The baby wants to have fun! The baby is cute, don't be a brute!"

_I don't know what's more irritating: a crying baby or B rapping._ Yugito suppressed a groan before she knelt down next to B.

She looked down and stared intensely at the baby's eyes. She had to admit that it was pretty cute. She hadn't been near any babies in her life. They might be heroes in Kumogakure, but people kept their children as far away from B and Yugito as possible.

She showed the child her right hand. The infant wrapped its tiny palm around her index finger and pulled. Its grip was surprisingly strong, though she could very easily pull away if she wanted. A small smile tugged at her lips. The infant grinned at her, showing four tiny milk teeth. She took her left hand and began to move her fingers through its soft blond hair. The baby smiled even wider. _It truly is cute._

"Awww... the kitty is oh so pretty," B interrupted the tender moment with a terrible rhyme.

Yugito couldn't help but blush a little. She was so caught up looking at the baby, she had forgotten B was also in the Room with her.

"Am not!" she replied, although she didn't pull away from the baby's grip. "I just like looking at it! Like a koi fish! In a pond!"

B gave her an unbelieving smile but was smart enough not to say anything. Yugito was only fourteen to B's twenty-one, but her claws could hurt. They turned their gaze back at the baby, who now looked happy to be getting attention from new people. Their eyes softened.

"What do babies need, anyway?" Yugito asked. "Maybe we can conjure something for it to do while we train"

"Good idea, yeah!," B replied, "Babies need many things, yo! But a place to play is the most important, you dumbass phony!"

With that, B conjured a small floor mat along with some stuffed animals, blankets, and pillows. He crawled over and placed the child in the middle. The baby looked around, full of curiosity.

It examined all of the toys before reaching out for a stuffed frog. However, it was a little too far for him to reach. Before he could fall or cry in frustration, Yugito took the frog and placed it in his hands. The baby grabbed on and began to chew on it. Both Yugito and B smiled at the sight.

The child turned its eyes back on Yugito, the frog still in its mouth. It gurgled happily and Yugito smiled back. _Training can wait a minute, the baby is just now getting comfortable._

"Are you happy now, little one?" she asked, "Is there anything you need? Do you want to play a game?"

Inspired, Yugito leaned over to hover in front of the baby's face. She took one of the blankets that B had conjured and covered its face and body. She had seen some civilians playing the game with their children.

"Where's the baby?" She asked in a sing-song voice. The baby giggled under the blanket.

"Here it is!" she said, pulling the blanket away. The infant giggled again. Apparently, it was very easy to entertain infants. With the frog in its mouth and a smile on its face, it looked even cuter than before. Yugito couldn't help but grin back.

B remained uncharacteristically quiet as Yugito continued to play Peek-a-boo. The infant seemed to enjoy the very simple game. For Yugito, it was nice to be carefree, even if it was only for a short amount of time.

It didn't take long, perhaps half an hour more, before the baby let out a big yawn and disappeared from the Room. B and Yugito stood up as they allowed the conjured objects to disappear. At that point, it was too late to try learning a new technique. She couldn't stay in the Room forever when her teammates needed her for the mission. She would have to learn B's technique later.

"Well, our plans got ruined," she pouted. "You better teach me that new move later, B. I can't believe we got sidetracked by a baby."

"It's all right, Yugito," B said with a grin, "You were so cute, I went all mute!"

Yugito glared back at B, although she wasn't smiling anymore.

"If you tell anyone I spent half an hour playing Peek-a-boo, I will make you incapable of future reproduction," she threatened, a murderous glint in her eye. B wisely didn't say anything. Yugito was still young and only a genin, but her claws hurt.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: This chapter turned into pure fluff almost by accident.**

**Big thanks to modoribashi for helping me read through the first draft. If you want to contact me, I'm pretty active on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Yagura is mystified by paperwork.**


	3. The Tragedy of Suna

**In which Naruto gets a new playmate, Rasa wants a beer, and Yagura is mystified by paperwork.**

**Warning for deaths of unnamed background characters.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

From his birth, Gaara had heard Shukaku in the back of his mind.

Although at first, he couldn't understand its words, the Ichibi had always been terrifying. It was an insistent whisper that grew stronger at night and almost unbearable during the full moon. Once he could actually understand Shukaku's words, the whispers only worsened.

'_**I'm the only mother you will ever have. If you release me, I will kill everyone in your way. Give me blood.'**_

As soon as he learned how to talk, he had asked Yashamaru about the voice. His uncle had frowned and asked him to ignore it. He had also told him to stay awake or bad things were going to happen.

Gaara didn't know what bad things would happen if he went to sleep, but he didn't want to test his limits. He always obeyed Yashamaru. Because of that, instead of sleeping, Gaara stayed awake all day and all night. He couldn't do it alone however, so his handlers turned to soldier pills for help.

He had been taking the pills since his birth.

Gaara hated the pills. He hated the effects that they had on his body. The pills kept him up, but they couldn't get rid of the deep mental exhaustion that came with not being able to sleep at all. The best he could do was close his eyes and lie down. As soon as he did, however, a masked man came into his room and forced him awake, giving him yet another soldier pill.

The medicine was meant to be taken in moderation and was created with an adult metabolism in mind. Yet, the medicine was the only way for Gaara to stay awake and avoid whatever bad thing Yashamaru said would happen.

Shukaku's voice was strongest at night, but despite that, Gaara always looked forward to the night. The kind voices almost always visited him then.

The first voice he had ever heard was that of a woman who always spoke in a gentle voice. She had talked to him often and during the worst nights, she would take some of the pain away. He barely remembered her voice now. He wondered if she would one day disappear from his memories all together.

The other voices came later and continued to speak with him, mostly at night. The most insistent of those voices was Fuu. She was a little over three years older than him. She talked to him about her day and about her shinobi training. She never stopped talking but Gaara always listened. She switched between calling Gaara her little brother and calling him Gaara-chan. Gaara called her Fuu nee-chan.

The other voice belonged to an older man. He tended to get easily irritated but was never cruel to Gaara. His real name was Roshi, but Fuu told Gaara that the man had a new name and he should start calling him "mama." Roshi got frustrated the first time Gaara used the nickname. However, his irritation was very mild and part of him thought the man liked it.

On a few occasions, the voice of a calm older man communicated with him. His name was Han and although he spoke with Gaara less often than the other two, Gaara enjoyed listening to him. Han also liked to explain the complicated things that Yashamaru couldn't. He didn't understand half of the words, but now he knew why the sky was blue.

The final voice belonged to Naruto. He was young, even younger than Gaara. The first time he tried communicating through the Door, he couldn't say any words. Instead, Naruto had babbled and sent his emotional impressions. However, Naruto was growing up and Gaara could understand more of what he was trying to say.

His companions said that they were jinchuuriki. It meant that they had a spirit sealed inside their body as well. Gaara guessed that their spirits must have been nicer than Shukaku because they didn't keep them awake all night.

Now that he was a little older, the dosage of the soldier pills had dropped and he only had to take one at lunchtime. Yashamaru always brought him one when it was time to eat.

"Gaara-sama," Yashamaru said with a small smile, "it's time for lunch."

The small boy climbed onto his chair, piled high with cushions, and stared at his meal. Yashamaru was a decent cook and he could make even simple dishes delicious. For the day, he had prepared a goat curry with rice. A soldier pill was sitting next to the dish.

Gaara gulped as he stared as the medicine. In addition to scrambling his mind, the taste was terrible. Once, while he was still learning to walk, Gaara had licked the bottom of the table. He was still not sure which tasted worse.

Yashamaru sat down in front of his own serving.

"Gaara-sama, take your medicine," Yashamaru ordered with another smile.

Gaara gulped but did as he was asked. He had to take a large gulp of water afterward, but the aftertaste was still strong. Thankfully, Yashamaru's cooking always got rid of that.

"Let's eat!" Yashamaru said cheerfully as he took a spoon and started eating.

"Let's eat!" Gaara parroted before doing the same.

The two ate in silence for the rest of the meal. Yashamaru finished first and watched Gaara eat with a kind smile on his face. When Gaara finished, Yashamaru leaned over and ruffled his hair.

"Did you enjoy the meal?" he asked, "I tried to make it special for you. I know you don't like the taste of the soldier pills."

"Yes! Thank you for the meal," Gaara responded. "It's good."

The conversation paused as Yashamaru stood up to take the dishes to the sink. After mealtimes, Gaara usually went to his room to play with his toys, but Yashamaru seemed to like his company while he was cleaning up.

"Yashamaru..." Gaara started and his uncle hummed to tell him he was listening. "Why can't I sleep? Everyone else sleeps. You too."

Yashamaru paused before turning back to Gaara.

"Well, Gaara," Yashamaru explained, "if you went to sleep, something bad might happen. Shukaku is very strong, especially at night. And he's not very nice, is he?"

Gaara shook his head. Shukaku wasn't nice at all. Yashamaru smiled at him again.

"It's best to keep Shukaku away. If you sleep, he could do something bad."

Gaara nodded in understanding and jumped down from his chair. He went to his room to play. Yashamaru said it was a bad idea to sleep and Gaara would try to follow his orders. That didn't mean he had to like it though. Sleep looked amazing.

**O-O-O-O-O**

_Naruto is growing quickly_, Fuu thought. He could walk and run. He talked more and he had finally figured out how to say "Fuu." He stills called Roshi, "Mama" though, no matter how many times the man told him to call him "Roshi."

Han had laughed about Roshi's exasperation until Naruto had turned around, pointed at Han and muttered "Papa." The memory of Roshi's laugh of mirth and Han's shocked eyes would stay with her for a long time.

Following Naruto's example, Fuu called Roshi "Mama" and Han "Papa." While she got the impression that Han was exasperated with the nickname, she could tell that Roshi secretly loved his. He didn't frown when she called him "Mama" and she was pretty sure he had blushed in happiness a few times. She had even gotten Gaara to call them "Mama" and "Papa" too. It was her proudest accomplishment so far.

Her new mission was to get the Kumogakure shinobi to start using the nicknames as well. For some reason, they had started appearing more regularly. Although they claimed they needed the Room to train, she had never actually seen them without getting distracted by Naruto.

Once, she had appeared at the same moment that the blond girl, Yugito Nii, was chasing around Naruto in a game of tag. The older girl had immediately stopped and pretended to get angry at the interruption- to Naruto's confusion. She left the Room afterward, but not before ruffling Naruto's hair and saying goodbye.

Another time, she had appeared to find the older man singing a nursery song to Naruto. Unlike Yugito, he didn't seem embarrassed about his interest in Naruto. Instead, he introduced himself as Killer B and asked her to call him "Lord Jinchuuriki." She decided on calling him B-sama as a compromise. He liked to rap. While Fuu was slightly entertained with his rhyming, Naruto always looked at him in confusion.

More than two years after Kushina's death, Fuu had either met or talked to all of the other jinchuuriki. Yet, she had never met the vessels of the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails. She had asked Han about them, but even he didn't have any idea who they were. If their Doors weren't glowing with chakra, they would have assumed there were no jinchuuriki at all.

Fuu had tried to talk to them a few times, but she had only received complete silence. She wasn't sure if they were ignoring her or if they were somehow unable to communicate through the Room.

Although Fuu had been talking with Gaara for a long time, he also had yet to appear. Han and Roshi didn't seem particularly worried about it. Instead, they continued to communicate with Gaara as often as they could. Naruto had also started to talk with Gaara more, although his vocabulary was very lacking. He was learning new words every day, however, so it didn't seem like that would be an issue for much longer.

On a cool October night, Fuu entered the Room to find neither Roshi nor Han inside. That was not a surprise. They had told her that they might be out on a mission for a few days, if not a few weeks. The Kumo ninja were not there either, so she was completely alone. She knew she would be joined by Naruto soon, however, so she readied the Room for his arrival.

She conjured up a variety of toys. He liked stuffed frogs the most, so she forced the Room to make a lot of them. She also made sure there were plenty of blankets and pillows for them to lie on. Fuu laid down but she didn't have to wait for long before Naruto appeared.

"Fuu nee-chan!" he screamed before jumping on her with a big hug.

"Naruto-chan! You're here!" she replied, returning the hug and ruffling his hair.

"Where Mama?" he asked, a pout on his face.

"Mama is on a mission, I don't think he's coming tonight," Fuu explained calmly. "We will have to play together without Mama, okay?"

Naruto pouted and scrunched up his face. Fuu could feel a tantrum coming. Naruto was getting older and more independent, but as a consequence, he was also increasingly obstinate. Now that he was a toddler, temper tantrums were the norm. Fuu winced. Roshi could deal with his moods better than she could.

"I want Mama!" he yelled, tears already beginning to roll down his cheeks. Fuu winced again. She hated whenever he got like that. It was very difficult to calm him down.

"Naruto-chan!" she tried, "Why don't we talk to Gaara-chan? He's lonely and he would be happier if we talked to him, don't you think?"

"No! No talk! No talk! I want Mama!" Naruto yelled back.

_Why can't he be a cute little baby anymore? I miss when all I needed to calm him down was a hug. _The only strategy she had was misdirection. She blurted out the first distraction she could think of.

"Hey!" she started, "Mama can't come today, but what if Gaara comes to play with us instead? He hasn't seen the Room yet, don't you want to play with him for real instead of just talking to him?"

Her suggestion seemed to stick in Naruto's mind. In an instant, he stopped sobbing and stared at her with as much contemplation as a toddler could muster. He looked less angry and he nodded at her. Fuu knew Naruto liked talking to Gaara, but it was frustrating to be unable to see him. They didn't even know what he looked like yet.

_Besides, Gaara is the last jinchuuriki I've talked to but haven't seen. Plus, Gaara was so lonely and bored at home that spending some time in the Room with Naruto could only be a good thing. I just hope that we can actually get him in here._

Mind made up, Fuu took Naruto by the hand and dragged him over to stand in front of Gaara's Door. She gritted her teeth before she opened the communication link. She had gotten used to the pain that came with touching his Door, but it was still difficult.

_'Hello, Gaara-chan,'_ she said._ 'How are you?'_

_'I'm okay, Fuu nee-chan,'_ Gaara answered immediately.

_'Gaara-chan,'_ she continued with her usual cheer. _'Naruto-chan wants to meet you! Can you come and visit us in the Room?'_

_'Okay,' _Gaara answered immediately. _'How do I go?'_

_'It's easy! All you have to do is go to sleep! When you are sleeping, you can come visit me and Naruto-chan in the Room,'_ she explained.

Gaara hesitated before he answered her.

_'Yashamaru says I can't sleep.' _Gaara sounded worried. He always listened to Yashamaru, whoever he was.

_'Everyone needs sleep. You don't have to sleep for a long time. You can visit us quickly and then go back home. Naruto really wants to see you!' _

Fuu wondered why Gaara was not allowed to sleep. She slept at least nine hours every day, if not more, and she knew that Naruto slept even longer. Fuu didn't know how Gaara could live a life without sleeping.

The mention of Naruto seemed to make up Gaara's mind because Fuu felt determination emanating from his Door. She couldn't see exactly what he was doing, because his window was too high up for her. She hoped she would grow taller soon.

Naruto started fidgeting with impatience.

"When is Gaa-chan here?" he asked with a frown.

"Be patient, Naruto-chan," she said, "Gaara-chan will be here soon. He needs to go to sleep first before he can come here."

Immediately afterward, she sensed a presence emanating from behind her. _Gaara-chan. He must have been really tired if he can fall asleep that quickly._ She turned around and saw him in person for the first time.

He seemed intimidated to see Fuu and Naruto because he kept his face down. He had messy red hair, aquamarine eyes, and very pale skin. He had black rings around his eyes, probably a side-effect of his bijuu, much like her orange eyes.

"So cute!" she shrieked as she ran over to Gaara, bent down, and hugged him.

Naruto held onto her but he had moved to stand behind her legs. His mind was presumably trying to connect the Gaara he knew through the Door with the stranger in front of them.

Gaara flinched at the unexpected touch but relaxed when he recognized her voice. It was his first time to see her in person too. He started to return her hug, although he still felt tense under her arms.

"Fuu," Naruto interrupted and pulled at her hand, "This is Gaa-chan?"

"Yup!" Fuu answered with a cheerful grin. "Gaara-chan is here! Isn't that nice?"

The two boys looked at each other nervously. Gaara was older and taller and Fuu could tell that Naruto was slightly intimidated. Naruto was not a coward, however. He inspected the older boy once again before coming out from behind her legs.

"Want play?" he asked and extended his hand.

Gaara looked a little surprised at Naruto's extended hand. He nodded and took his hand tightly. Together, the two boys ran over to the conjured toys and pillows. They were both smiling now, although they were still wary around each other.

Fuu sighed in gratitude. Naruto seemed to have forgotten about mama for now. _Crisis averted._

**O-O-O-O-O**

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa of Sunagakure, was getting ready to end the day. He had tucked in his two oldest children into bed and read through the last of the neverending paperwork. The Daimyo was still refusing to increase funds for Sunagakure and had instead decided to invest his money in Konoha. He wondered if he could ethically and legally possible kill the Daimyo. But that was a question for later. All Rasa wanted was a cold beer.

As Rasa opened the fridge to grab his drink, an ANBU operative flickered into his kitchen in panic. Rasa sighed. An ANBU in his kitchen could only mean bad news. _Can't I get a night off like normal people anymore?_

"Lord Kazekage!" the ANBU operative yelled, "the vessel has been compromised! The container has fallen asleep and the Shukaku has been released!"

"What?! How could this happen?" Rasa yelled. "We have constant monitoring for the vessel. It is never supposed to be without supervision!"

"We don't know, Lord Kazekage," the ANBU answered. "Perhaps its handlers have gotten careless now that the vessel is older."

Rasa swore. Drink forgotten, he slammed the fridge door. All of their careful planning to prevent Gaara from falling asleep had been for nothing. He vowed to himself that he would execute Gaara's handlers as soon as he got the chance.

With the ANBU at his side, Rasa flickered away from his home. His Gold Dust was the only technique that could stop Gaara. The gold was heavier than the Ichibi's sand. If he could layer his golden sand on top of the beast, he could wake Gaara up.

The two shinobi ran to the site of Gaara's home. For the safety of Temari and Kankuro, the vessel lived with only Yashamaru as a caretaker. He was the only one allowed to spend long stretches of time with the boy.

Even before they arrived, the Kazekage and his ANBU reserved could see the huge body of Shukaku. It was laughing wildly at nothing as it destroyed buildings, most of them residential. It probably knew that it would be subdued sooner or later. It seemed to be enjoying the time that it was in control by destroying as much of the village as possible.

Rasa grit his teeth and concentrated. Flushed with anger, he summoned chakra. Dark rings appeared around his eyes as the Gold Dust answered his call. Rasa clenched his fists and willed the sand to move at his command.

It didn't take long for the sand to respond. The air shimmered as his chakra manipulated its movement. With more willpower and thought, a wall of golden sand rose to surround the beast.

Finally distracted, the tanuki spirit looked around wildly in surprise. Before the spirit could react, however, Rasa buried the beast in tons of golden sand. It screamed out in rage as its rampage ended, as abruptly as it had begun.

Rasa felt sweat dripping down his face as he struggled to keep his jutsu concentrated on top of the beast. The bijuu was strong and Rasa was not sure how long he could hold it down. He needed to increase the pressure in order to wake up Gaara and cede control back to the vessel.

He sent a quick prayer to any deity that might be listening before he channeled as much chakra from his reserves as he could. He didn't want to kill Gaara, but in order to wake him up, he needed to hurt him. He exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He ordered his sand to collapse upon the Ichibi. Defeated, he heard curses and screams of pain from the Shukaku as the golden sand buried the beast.

Gaara's screams came soon afterward.

**O-O-O-O-O**

_It's nice to see Naruto-chan playing with someone his own age. I'm going to get Gaara-chan to come here as often as possible_, Fuu decided.

Fuu looked at the boys as they played. While they had been wary of each other at first, Naruto's persistent cheerfulness had gotten the older boy out of his shell. Now, the two boys were trying to build a fort out of the pillows she had conjured. While Gaara was very careful and neat, Naruto's fort looked more like a squashed mountain than a defensive wall.

"Gaa-chan! How you make the wall?" Naruto pouted as he looked at his side, frustrated.

"You have to be careful, Naruto-chan," Gaara answered. "You gotta plan what you need to do first and then move the pillows one by one. Here, let me help you. Pass me a pillow."

Naruto gave control over the building to Gaara and dutifully handed over a pillow. Gaara tore down Naruto's hard work and began anew.

Fuu didn't know if Naruto had ever listened to anyone so intently before. She wished Han and Roshi were there to see the scene. She wondered why Gaara hadn't been able to enter the Room before when all he needed to do was sleep. He said that his caretaker, Yashamaru, prohibited him from sleeping. She didn't understand why. There didn't seem to be any side effects at all.

As she looked at the boys working on their new and improved pillow fort, Gaara dropped to the floor and clutched his chest as if in pain. Terrified for him, she started to run toward him when she felt a sudden pressure going throughout her entire body. She shut her eyes in pain as she collapsed on the floor.

Her ribs felt like they were being squeezed from all sides. Her body weighed so much she couldn't move a finger if she tried. She was unable to control herself at all.

From the ground, she heard Gaara and Naruto both screaming in pain. She was not surprised that a scream escaped her lips too. It felt like her body was being pushed from all directions.

It was the first time she'd felt hurt while inside the Room. Eyes clenched shut, she heard a noise that sounded like a sandstorm spreading throughout the Room. She felt gusts of wind and earth scatter around her body as it moved in the direction of the two boys.

She forced herself to open her eyes. She was greeted with the sight of golden-colored sand converging upon Gaara's tiny body. She caught a glimpse of Gaara's red hair before it was buried alive by the moving sand.

She reached her hand out uselessly, trying to get closer to the boy and provide any assistance she could. However, she was too late. Before she could truly process the scene in front of her, Fuu was forcefully expelled out of the Room.

She woke up screaming back in her bed in Takigakure. She was trembling so hard that her bed frame started to rattle. She wanted to check on Gaara and Naruto, but her mind was too frazzled to even attempt to sleep.

Fuu forced herself to take deep breaths in and out. By the time she finally calmed down enough to try her hand at meditating, it was already dawn. Fuu forced herself to enter the Room anyway.

Inside the Room, no one else was there. There were also no more signs of the mysterious sand that had caused all that pain.

She ran to Naruto's Door, the closest one to hers, and put a hand on it. She could feel Naruto crying painfully. Through the Door's connection, she heard the exasperated words of his caretakers. Although he was still reacting from the attack inside the Room, he was safe for the moment. She sighed in relief.

She ran over to Gaara's Door next. The sand had been converging upon him. She promised herself to reassure the boy as much as she could. However, when she tried to communicate, she only received silence in return.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Through the Room's connection, all the jinchuuriki felt the Gold Dust trying to crush them.

Naruto woke up screaming and crying. His screams of pain and fear were so loud that he woke up many of the other children. His caretakers entered his Room, fearing the release of the Kyuubi. They were relieved when a crying toddler soaked in sweat and tears greeted them instead. The caretakers couldn't deal with a broken seal but they could deal with an orphan's nightmares.

Roshi and Han were almost impaled by enemy shuriken in the split second they paused to process the pain. Only the quick reflexes that came from decades of training saved them from the attack. They countered viciously and efficiently. Once there were no more enemies, the two shared a look. They knew something had happened to the children and they needed to figure it out.

Yugito screamed at the sudden pain. She squeezed the shuriken in her hands and blood spread across her palms and forearms. While her bijuu healed her injuries, the blood remained on her clothes. Nearby, Killer B fell into the river that he had been meditating on. Only his bijuu's quick reflexes kept him from sinking to the bottom. Once he emerged, the two Kumo ninja looked at each other in surprise and fear. They knew something had happened in the Room although they had no idea what.

Elsewhere, a boy who had vowed not to visit the Room ever again woke up with a scream. As he worked to get his breathing back under control, the boy wondered if he could continue ignoring the other jinchuuriki for the rest of his life.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi felt like his body was being squeezed by a giant. He startled awake.

When he opened his eyes, he was sitting behind the Mizukage desk but he didn't remember how he had gotten there. He stared at a collection of papers on the desk and didn't know what they said. He didn't even remember the date.

_What the hell happened? The last thing I remember was meeting up with a possible informant._

He stared around his office some more. It looked slightly different than he remembered. There were towers of paperwork on the desks, shelves, and even on the floor. There was also a large map behind him of the Land of Water. There were various pins and markers on the map to indicate battles, victories, losses, and enemy movements.

_I don't remember needing THAT. Kiri isn't involved in a war._

Yagura reached his mind out to contact his bijuu. Although Isobu preferred to sleep while Yagura worked, he was always ready to talk. If he had been under some kind of genjutsu, then Isobu was too.

_'Isobu? Are you there?'_

_**'I'm here, Karatachi,' **_Isobu answered. He sounded worried. Yagura understood why. A jutsu that was strong enough to affect a bijuu was definitely something to worry about.

_'Do you remember how we got here?' _Yagura clenched his fist to keep himself from panicking. _'The last thing I remember is going to meet up with a potential informant.'_

_**'No. And that's worrisome.' **_Isobu hummed in deep thought. '_**Karatachi, don't panic. We must have been acting under a genjutsu. The one who put it on us might still be nearby. Try to act natural.'**_

Yagura was not sure how he could act natural considering the circumstances. Nevertheless, he followed Isobu's advice and forced his heart rate to slow down. He stared down at the papers in front of him, hoping for any kind of answer. He read the top of the letter and checked for the date.

_'Isobu?'_

_**'What happened, Karatachi?'**_

_'What was the date when we met up with the supposed informant?'_

_**'October 18, right?'**_

_'Isobu, it's October 25.'_

_**'Ah, that's not so bad Karatachi, only a week.'**_

_'No, Isobu, it's October 25 three years in the future.'_

Isobu almost never cursed and Yagura felt rather than heard his coarse language. _What the fuck indeed._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Rasa glared at the two jounin on the execution block. They were the two ANBU whose sole mission was to prevent the Ichibi Jinchuuriki from going to sleep. They were kneeling on the hard wooden deck and had their hands tied behind their backs.

Rasa had made a promise to himself and he was going to keep it. _How hard is it to keep a toddler awake?_

The Kazekage turned back to look at the beginning of the entire mess- the vessel of the Ichibi. _My son._

The boy was not even three years old and he had already killed more people than many of his ninja. Gaara was crying softly and was staring at the floor. It was obvious that the boy was in pain. Getting hit by his technique must have felt like being buried alive. He felt a stab of pity for his son but forced himself to extinguish it.

Gaara's power was too unstable. If it weren't for his wife's dying wishes, Rasa would have already killed Gaara with his Golden Dust. It was the only technique strong enough to subdue the sand of the Shukaku. He hoped Gaara would learn how to control his power. Yet, he also feared that he would have to assassinate the boy for the good of the village.

For now, Rasa would give Gaara more time to learn control before making a final decision. The jinchuuriki were too useful as weapons to waste them. Part of him, probably his paternal side, wanted to love Gaara. However, the power and safety of Sunagakure were more important than even his own family.

Rasa screwed his hands into fists before turning over to hear the last words of the failed ANBU. He didn't pay attention, however. He doubted that they were saying anything important and he had advisors to listen for him. Their words became muttering in the back of his mind, as important as the wind blowing in the background.

The Kazekage gave the order. The ANBU commander pulled back their heads. A second later, an executioner ran a sharp kunai through their exposed necks.

Rasa turned back to his crying son. Gaara was not only his son. He was an asset to Sunagakure. He would either learn how to control his power or he would not. Despite his pity, Rasa couldn't afford to comfort his son.

"I expect no more deaths, Gaara," he demanded.

Gaara flinched and drew further into himself. He looked like he wanted to cry more, but he stopped himself. Rasa almost wanted to congratulate him on his emotional control but he couldn't. He couldn't get attached to a weapon when it could be lost at any time. Instead, he simply walked past the boy and went back home, not sparing his son a second glance.

_Shinobi Rule #5: A shinobi must always put his village before himself._

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: This chapter was a difficult to write because so many things happen from so many points of view.**

**You can contact me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. I'm ready and willing to answer questions or talk there.**

**Next chapter: Fuu learns a new technique.**


	4. Bringing Back Reality

**In which Han is a good therapist, Yagura feels guilty, and Fuu learns a doujutsu technique.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara blocked all communication after Shukaku was released.

In Sunagakure, he stayed inside his bedroom, not leaving it except to use the bathroom and to eat. He didn't talk to anyone, even Yashamaru. His uncle tried to engage Gaara in conversation, but he refused to answer.

He spent his days and nights staring out of his bedroom window at what remained of Suna. The destruction was imprinted throughout the city. Many buildings, which had been constant parts of the landscape, were gone, crushed under the Shukaku's power and the Kazekage's Gold Dust.

Gaara could still feel the pain of being crushed under tons of sand. His lungs had burned from the lack of air and his body had been paralyzed as the golden sand buried him alive. Naruto and Fuu must have shared his pain because he remembered them screaming too

He still heard their voices trying to talk to him. The most constant one was Fuu, who kept asking him what happened and trying to comfort him. Roshi and Naruto came often as well, although they let Fuu lead the conversations. Gaara wanted to talk to them more than anything but he forced himself to block them out. They didn't need to talk to a monster.

Surprisingly, he heard two new voices. The first belonged to a man named Killer B. He had tried to cheer him up with a song, but his singing was atrocious. Gaara had been happy when the man left

The other voice belonged to an older girl. She had been very direct and asked him what happened with the sand but Gaara refused to answer. She had closed the link with a flash of irritation.

Gaara vowed to block them all. Because of his bijuu, he hurt them terribly. He destroyed a large part of Sunagakure and watched two men die and it was all his fault. He didn't want to hurt anyone ever again.

Han was the one that got Gaara to ultimately break his vow of silence. Like Roshi, Han had tried to open the communication link to ask for explanations without any success. However, a week after the attack, Han asked him something that broke through his conviction.

_'How did the Shukaku get out, child?'_

_'What? How do you know?'_ Gaara asked before thinking. He winced. He had been unable to keep up his vow for longer than a week.

_'We are shinobi, Gaara-chan. I received intel that Shukaku destroyed parts of Suna. You are the jinchuuriki of the Ichibi. Logically, you lost control of your bijuu and destroyed part of the village.'_

Han's voice remained calm. He was not accusing him. Instead, he was talking as if he were answering one of Gaara's questions about the world. He could tell that Han was worried about him. Despite everything, Gaara trusted him. He could talk to him about what happened.

_'I fall asleep and Shukaku comes out. My father hurt me to wake me up.'_

_'Who is your father, Gaara-chan?'_

_'The Kazekage,'_ Gaara answered immediately.

He hadn't spent a lot of time with him and the man only rarely visited Gaara and Yashamaru's home. His father talked often to his uncle but he spoke very few words to Gaara himself. The execution of the ANBU was the closest he had seen his father in a very long time.

_'Your father is the Kazekage?' _Han sounded surprised about the fact. Gaara was not sure why, however, so he ignored his reaction.

_'Yeah.'_

_'Gaara-chan,'_ Han asked again, voice more gentle than he had heard before,_ 'what happened that night? How did Shukaku get out?'_

Haltingly, Gaara tried to tell Han what happened. It took him a long time to tell the full story of destroying the village, getting buried in sand, and watching the execution of his guard. When he finished, Han was quiet, but Gaara thought that the man felt worried. Finally, Han answered back.

_'Child, you need to be careful. Your father is afraid that your bijuu will get out and destroy the village. If he thinks you can't control the beast, he will take drastic measures.'_

_'Drastic measures?' _Gaara repeated the unfamiliar words.

_'He might get rid of you, Gaara,' _Han explained. _'You need to make your father think that you have full control of your bijuu, even if you don't.'_

_'How?' _Gaara asked, desperate.

_'It will be difficult. Make him think that you will be a strong shinobi one day. You have to gain control over your bijuu.'_

_'How? Shukaku is bad! He says bad things to me! Always!' _Gaara almost started to cry. The situation appeared hopeless. He had no control over Shukaku at all.

_'Ignore him. The beast only wants to see you fail. We don't. Keep the communication open, Gaara. Roshi and I will help you figure out how to control your beast. I promise. And the other shinobi are here, too. I know that B and Yugito tried to talk to you. B is a little strange but they are good people. You can trust them too.'_

Han paused for a second before talking again, even more gently that time. _'We miss you a lot. Fuu and Naruto especially. They have been crying and want to know when you will talk to them again.'_

Gaara felt a pang of guilt. He missed Fuu and Naruto a lot, too. It had been a terrible night, but the limited time he got playing with Naruto was the best moment in his life so far. He had forgotten about it in the aftermath but he remembered now.

_'Promise?'_ Gaara asked.

_'I promise,' _Han said. _'Talk to us. We can help. Now, do you want to hear the story of how I managed to defeat a group of Konoha ninja using only my wits and half a sword?'_

_'Yes, please!' _Gaara missed the stories from the other jinchuuriki the most. He felt even more guilty for ignoring them for so long. In the physical world, he sat down and relaxed to listen to Han's story. When it ended, Han said goodbye and made Gaara promise to talk to the others.

By the time Han left, it was past midnight, which was when Shukaku was most active. However, his excitement drowned out Shukaku's voice until it was barely a whisper in the back of his mind.

Invigorated, Gaara looked around. Instead of seeing a prison for a monster, he saw a regular bedroom. He wished the others were there with him, but unlike Gaara, they actually needed to sleep every night. Alone, he went to play with his stuffed animals.

When dawn broke, Gaara left his bedroom for the first time since the Shukaku incident. He sat alone in the living room as he waited for Yashamaru to wake up. His uncle made them a simple breakfast and Gaara ate enthusiastically. That time, when Yashamaru asked him a question, he answered.

**O-O-O-O-O**

As he looked at all of the chaos inside his office, Yagura almost wished he had stayed under the genjutsu. Almost.

The huge pile of documents on his desk detailed the war effort. While brainwashed, Yagura had made an extermination order for holders of kekkei genkai. The resolution had been easy to pass. Holders of bloodline techniques were feared and hated in the Land of Water. They made very easy scapegoats for the death and destruction that took place in every war.

To his horror, the large map of the Land of Water on the wall behind him was covered in pins and markers to track the war effort. Red thumbtacks that indicated battles were spread throughout the country. Green pins indicated victories while white pins indicated losses. A large blue pin indicated the rumored position of the rebel group.

The fact that his former student Mei Terumi was the leader of the resistance force was one of the biggest shocks. Yagura had mentored Mei when she was only a genin and he had watched her grow into a strong and capable jounin. He was proud of the kunoichi she had become. He wasn't sure how he should feel about her leading a group working to remove him from power and execute him, however.

He didn't know how anyone could believe he would want to exterminate kekkei genkai. Then again, hypocritical and backstabbing politicians were nothing new in the world, let alone in Kirigakure.

The only silver lining he had been able to find after breaking the illusion was the fate of his family. On his second day back, Yagura had found a hidden scroll that could only be opened with a pulse of Isobu's chakra.

The scroll detailed how his wife and children left Kirigakure for safety. It also contained the first clue if he wanted to follow their trail.

He was happy to discover that his wife Anzu had taken Asahi and Kasumi away from Kirigakure. Based on the scroll, they were probably living in one of the minor countries on the border with the Land of Fire. As an accomplished shinobi herself, Yagura knew that Anzu could blend into the crowds until the Civil War ended and they could return.

He was just happy that, even in his mind-controlled state, he had enough foresight to protect his most precious people. His son Asahi had been five while his daughter Kasumi had been only two when he was put under.

Yagura felt a pang in his chest whenever he thought of them. _They must have grown so much in the last three years. I will never get that time back with them._

Even with his mind free and the company of Isobu, he felt like a puppet. Yagura signed what he was told to sign and declared what he was told to declare. He suspected the one behind the illusion was watching. He couldn't afford to show he was free before he found the culprit. For the moment, he would continue to act as he had been doing.

When Yagura was finally done with his fake duties and headed home, he was ready to make plans. He knew that he needed to do something to change everything without raising suspicions.

Unfortunately, thinking was difficult when the voices in his head were talking.

When Yagura was first made into a jinchuuriki, it was near the end of the Second Shinobi War. Mistrust was high between the villages. Even though he knew about the Room, he never wanted to use it in case it gave enemy shinobi any ideas.

Now, however...

_'B-sama! I got monkey! You lose!'_

'Hey, fool! The student has surpassed the master! Time flies a lot faster!'

_'Butterfly! Did you see how he moves his fingers? I think he'll be ready to start casting jutsu soon!'_

_'Great job, Naruto-chan! You're doing great! Oh! Yugito-senpai! What's the best way to hold the kunai? My fingers are here but maybe I need to hold it like this?'_

_'Keep your arm low and relax while your body completes the movement. Use your entire body and make your core tight to avoid injuries.'_

Before, no one was dumb enough to visit the Room except by accident. Now, however, he couldn't go to bed without hearing inane chattering. They were there occasionally during the day too, but he was too distracted with the crisis to care for them then. However, at night, he had been trying to block out their conversations with no avail.

The fact that everything was so inane only made it all worse. All he wanted to do was come up with a plan to solve the situation in Kiri, but their talking made it impossible to think. The only thing he wanted was to yell at everyone to just shut the fuck up.

Paranoid and annoyed thoughts crowded his brain as he angrily went to sleep.

**O-O-O-O-O**

For the first time ever, all but Gaara and the two other mysterious jinchuuriki were in the Room. Han was leaning against Gaara's Door. Although the boy couldn't join them, he could listen and chime in whenever he wanted through Han.

The Kumo ninja, Killer B, had admitted that he watched over Naruto during the day whenever the Iwa and Taki jinchuuriki were busy. The Kumo girl, Yugito, often joined them. However, she seemed to be embarrassed to admit that she liked spending time with the toddler.

Fuu had somehow convinced the Kumo genin to teach her a kunai technique. Yugito had refused at first. However, as soon as she got a look at Fuu's glistening orange eyes, she had relented. She had then reluctantly agreed to teach Fuu how to throw three kunai at the same time.

While Fuu and Yugito practiced with the kunai, Roshi was doing some stretching exercises in a corner of the Room. His flexibility rivaled that of many professional gymnasts. Meanwhile, Killer B was playing a shinobi version of Rock-Paper-Scissors with little Naruto. The signs were more complicated than the normal version. It was a common game to prepare children to learn hand signs later.

All of his fellow jinchuuriki were talking loudly to one another as they played their games or showed off their skills. Fuu had managed to throw the kunai, although her accuracy was dreadful. Nearby, Naruto had won more rounds than B, although he knew the older ninja was going easy on the boy.

Han smiled to himself in contentment. Before the young children joined, he would have never imagined what was yet to come. Every day, he was amazed at how jinchuuriki from five different villages had come to trust each other.

Han hadn't felt so at peace anywhere before.

He allowed himself to relax as he let the conversations flow through him to Gaara. He didn't really pay attention to what the others were saying and instead closed his eyes to meditate. Everyone was happy for now. He would enjoy the peacetime for as long as he could. How often were jinchuuriki happy, anyway?

Unfortunately, peace was only a vague concept to shinobi. While he leaned against Gaara's door, a new and powerful chakra signature appeared in the Room.

Instincts honed by decades as a shinobi make him react as soon as he felt the new presence. Before he consciously knew it, he had jumped to stand in front of the three youngest vessels. He assumed a defensive taijutsu stance, Killer B and Roshi at his sides.

"Yugito-san! Defensive position on the children!" Roshi yelled at the older girl.

In an instant, the girl moved to stand behind Fuu and Naruto, claws out protectively.

All six jinchuuriki turned at once to look at their new visitor.

Han thought that it was a young boy at first. The stranger was very short, even shorter than Roshi, which was saying something. He had short messy grey hair and pink pupiless eyes. A scar ran from under his left eye all the way down his cheek. He looked almost unthreatening. Yet, the Mizukage robes that he was wearing were anything but. A large curved staff was slung across his back and his face was scrunched up in rage.

Taken all together, Han knew that the man was not someone they could deal with easily.

"Will everyone please shut the fuck up!?" the Mizukage yelled as he stepped into the Room.

Silence followed as everyone took in his words.

"Ya fool! Ya fool! We have children here, watch your language!" Killer B yelled from his left. On his right, Roshi also looked offended by the choice of words.

"Mama, papa," Fuu asked from behind Yugito, "what does 'fuck' mean?"

"It's a word only adults can say, butterfly," Roshi lied irritably. Despite his explanation, he refused to take his eyes off the potential enemy.

"He doesn't look like a grown-up, though," Fuu whined with a pout. "He looks like a kid! Why can he use that word but I can't?!"

"I'm not a kid!" the stranger responded angrily, "I'm an adult! I can say whatever the fuck I want!"

"Fuck!" Naruto copied happily. Han sighed. The caretakers at the orphanage would have to figure out where he learned _that _word themselves.

"What do you want?" Han asked, trying to come up with a peaceful solution by projecting a calm voice. "We don't mean any harm. If you leave, we won't have to fight."

"I want you to shut up!" the man yelled while pointing a finger at the jinchuuriki. "Do you know how hard it is to go to sleep with all of you babbling so much? I have a lot to deal with right now in Kiri and your inane conversations are driving me insane!"

"Sorry, but this Room is public use," Yugito replied with a sneer. "Any of us can use it however we want and as long as we want. If you don't want to listen to us talk, improve your mental barriers, you runt!"

Han sighed. He had wanted to end the confrontation peacefully, but he doubted an already angry man would back down after that challenge. He shifted his gaze back to the new man.

The man gritted his teeth in anger and moved his staff into an offensive position. The Mizukage clothes disappeared, leaving him in a black combat-ready outfit. The man took an offensive position while the other shinobi shifted into defense. They stared at each other in silence, waiting for someone to break the tension first.

The man leaped into the air and headed towards Roshi first.

"Lava Release: Scorching Rocks Jutsu!" Roshi made a snake sign and began to spew out balls of lava in the stranger's direction.

"Water Release: Aqua Mirror Jutsu!"

A circular pool of water appeared in front of Roshi, creating a clone in the mirror. The man used the hooked end of his staff to rotate the pool. The clone countered with the same balls of lava and Roshi was forced back with his own attack. The clone vanished, leaving behind only a puddle of water.

While Roshi recovered, Han took the opportunity to rush in from the enemy's blind spot. He heated up steam with his chakra and sent the gathered power to his fists. He leaped to attack and his augmented punch hit the stranger directly in the nose. He felt a second of victory before his enemy turned into water. His eyes widened in surprise. _A water clone?_

Han was hit on the back by the large staff. He went flying to the opposite side of Roshi, away from Yugito and the children. He landed on his feet, unbalanced, and looked back at the fight.

Killer B had conjured his swords and was trying to slash at their enemy.

"Water Release: Aqua Mirror Jutsu!"

As with Roshi, B's attack was reflected back upon him. The Kumo ninja stumbled back as he faced his own swords. While he was still unbalanced, the Kiri ninja ran up to him and hit B in the chest.

"Coral palm!" the stranger yelled.

Immediately, coral began to grow on B's chest. B lost his balance and he fell to the floor, unable to move.

"Oh!" B said, "This fool doesn't monkey around, he has some renown, yeah!"

"B!" Yugito yelled from the other side, "Are you okay?"

"This fool made me eat dirt, but I'm mostly unhurt," B responded. "Keep protecting the children, I wanna hear you cheer on, you dumbass phonies!"

"Don't forget about me, shorty!" Han almost laughed at the irony of _Roshi _of all people calling someone short. "Lava Release: Chakra Mode!"

Roshi clapped his hands together and his entire body was covered in a shield of hot chakra. Surrounded by lava, he leaped toward their enemy.

"Water Release: Raging Waves "

Hands moving faster than he thought possible, the stranger spewed out a large wave of water. Under normal circumstances, a water release jutsu was not strong enough to do any damage to Roshi's attack. However, their opponent was both a jinchuuriki and a Kage. His power was not to be trifled with.

With a scream, Roshi fell to the ground and the water pushed him down onto the tiled floor.

Han took his chance. While the man was still attacking Roshi, he sent chakra to the soles of his feet and bounded toward the fight. He extended his fist to punch the man before he could notice he was there.

That time, his fist connected with the real body. However, the man was small and he moved to the side at the last moment. He was only able to hit part of his cheek after all.

"Shit," Han cursed under his breath. It had been a while since he had been outranked by an opponent. The relatively small area only made it more difficult. Roshi's attacks were meant for open battlefields, not small and contained rooms. The Mizukage was also too fast and too small for Han to hit consistently. B was the only one that was ideal for the situation, but he was unable to get up with the large weight of coral on his chest.

The wave of water ended and Han successfully landed next to Roshi and gave him a hand to stand up. The two men stood side by side and stared back at their opponent. The Mizukage had stopped trying to attack for the moment, although he was still eyeing them warily.

Han was starting to wonder if the fight might be helpless. He had other techniques, but the small quarters and the presence of the children meant that he couldn't go all out. He didn't want to hurt anyone else by accident.

"Hey, fool! This Room is for everyone, this fighting shtick is overdone!" B cried as he tried to fight off the coral that was still growing on his chest.

"Do you know what kind of shit I have to deal with?" the man yelled in response. "It's a load of bullshit! You people's inane chatting is making everything worse! Leave if you don't want to get hurt."

The man moved back to an offensive stance, but he didn't try to attack, waiting for their surrender. Han gritted his teeth. Retreating seemed like the best option. He loved the Room and spending time there. However, if a tiny Mizukage would fight him over the use of it, it might not be worth staying there.

Quickly, he tapped Roshi on the shoulder and lifted Killer B by the collar. Using his chakra steam, he vaulted back to where Yugito was still protecting the children. He kept his gaze fixed on their enemy as he watched his companions from the corner of his eye.

"I think we may need to retreat," Roshi said. "This is an opponent we can't easily defeat, especially in these close quarters. We may have to limit our time here."

From the other side of the Room, the man was still watching them. He was listening to their conversation but he didn't move closer. He was apparently satisfied that they were considering a retreat for the moment.

"What?! No! Mama, he can't make us leave! This is our Room, too!" Fuu was furious, her orange eyes full of tears. She was holding Naruto close to her. At her words, he started crying as well.

At the Fuu's words, some indecipherable emotion passed through the stranger's pink eyes. Whatever it was, it faded before Han could begin to assess it.

"Your safety is more important, butterfly," Roshi explained with a grimace. "This shorty is too strong for us to fight all out right now."

"No! No! No!" From Fuu's arms, Naruto started sobbing. "Don't leave me! I want to stay with Fuu-chan! I don't want to leave Mama and Papa!"

At Naruto's words, the stranger flinched. He looked uncomfortable. Han wondered if he could use his discomfort to their advantage as he was struck by inspiration.

"It's alright, Naruto-chan, Fuu-chan," Han said to the children while keeping his gaze fixed on the man. "We will still talk to each other through the Doors. We just won't be able to appear here together anymore."

"How is Yugito-senpai going to teach me a new technique if we can't see each other?" she asked angrily as her grip hardened on Naruto. "And this is the only place where Naruto has a family! If he can't spend time with us he's going to be so sad and lonely!"

Huge tears fell down her face and onto the floor as she made her case. Naruto had moved to hug her tightly, his face buried in her midsection. The sound was slightly muffled, but they could all hear the boy's bawling.

_This Mizukage definitely looks guilty. He's probably like Roshi and Yugito and is a bleeding heart for children. _It was time to twist the dagger a little more.

"I know, little one," Han said to Fuu. "I don't want to, but he wants us to leave. He wants us to cut each other out."

He gestured to their enemy, who definitely had a look of guilt on his face. He was still holding his large staff firmly in an offensive stance. Nevertheless, he appeared unsettled by the children crying. Fuu turned to the man, her orange eyes their greatest weapon.

"Please!" she said as she stared at the stranger. "We promise we will be more quiet! But don't make us leave the Room! This is the only place we have! This is the only place where I can see Naruto-chan."

At her words, Naruto's hug tightened and the two children held each other like a lifeline. Han wondered how Fuu could possibly be breathing. Naruto was small, but his grip looked like it could crush steel.

The man stopped to consider her for a second. He looked like he wanted to say something but he stopped himself. The man grunted in exasperation and vanished from the Room without answering to Fuu.

Immediately, the coral that was crushing B disappeared and he stopped struggling. The puddles created by the water release vanished as well. Only the six jinchuuriki remained as they rested and gathered their thoughts. They stood together, with only Fuu and Naruto's sniffling to break the silence as their crying petered out. Roshi spoke up first.

"Well, if he comes again, let's just run," Roshi said with a huff. "Not until the kids get stronger at least."

"Agreed," Yugito said with a serious look on her face. "He was a truly dangerous opponent."

"We will have to be quieter," Han added. "He has retreated, but if we're too loud, he might come back for a fight."

Roshi sighed and put his hands on the back of his head. He closed his eyes in exhaustion.

"Well, we are all going to wake up with a migraine tomorrow," Roshi said, sounding irritated. "Battling in the Room always does that."

Han winced. He hadn't tried battling or using chakra beyond basic sparring in the Room with anyone for a long time. The last time he and Roshi used the Room to spar, they had both woken up with the worst migraines of their lives. Their bodies couldn't be hurt or die while in their shared mind space. However, any damage had to be reflected back onto their bodies somehow.

"Are we going to see each other again, soon?" Fuu asked in a small voice. Her tears were drying up, but her eyes were still sad.

At her words, Roshi smiled. He went to stand next to her and picked her and Naruto up for a hug. They went along as he held them on his hip.

"Of course, butterfly," Roshi reassured the girl. "He will keep us apart over my dead body."

_Don't jinx it. The man might actually try to kill you. You don't mess with a Kage._

"Thank you, Mama," Fuu said, a smile back on her face.

From behind him, he heard Yugito's claws finally retracting back into her fingers and toes. She sighed and moved to stand next to B, who was still lying on the floor despite the vanished coral.

"Well, that man kind of ruined the mood," she complained. "I think I'm gonna have to call it a night for now."

Yugito turned to look at Fuu. Fuu wiped her eyes with her forearm before she looked up at the older girl. Yugito smiled.

"Keep your chin up, girl," Yugito said. "Practice the technique I showed you one hundred times more and I'm sure you'll get it."

"Really? You think so?" Fuu already sounded like her normal enthusiastic self.

Yugito smiled at her and nodded. She patted Fuu on the head softly and bent her head down to look at Naruto in the eye. She combed her hands through his hair.

"You too, little monster," she told the boy. "It's time to go to sleep. I will see you all soon. Good night."

At that, she disappeared.

"Yeah, I'm gonna call it a night, too," Roshi said as he put the children back on the floor. "Goodnight."

The other jinchuuriki departed one by one, saying goodbye before disappearing for the night.

Eventually, Han was the only one left. He sighed and he glared once more at the Door that symbolized the Three-Tails jinchuuriki. He was not sure if it was his imagination or not, but the aquamarine chakra signature appeared to glow more than before.

Before turning in for the night, Han walked calmly to Gaara's Door. He hadn't said goodnight to him yet.

Han put his hand on the Door and carefully recounted the events from earlier. When he finished, he wished the boy good night and let his mind leave their jinchuuriki mind space to enter deep sleep. He would need as much rest as he could get before facing the morning. He was not looking forward to the inevitable migraine.

**O-O-O-O-O**

After the disastrous yet exhilarating fight inside the Room, Yagura's return to work was dreary and depressing.

Yagura wanted to act like the illusion was still working until he found the one responsible. He signed all paperwork that any of his advisors brought. He moved tax expenditures to fund weapons manufacturing. He handed out an A-Ranked mission to a new genin team.

He didn't trust his advisors and he knew that at least some of them worked for the person that put the genjutsu on him. If he tried to tell the village about the brainwashing, he knew that he would simply be put under again. Or worse, he would be executed and replaced with someone more malleable. Despite being the strongest shinobi in the village, he felt completely powerless.

Listening to the chatter in the Room at night was almost a relief at that point. They had been quieter since their fight. Nevertheless, he could hear their voices whenever they got excited, which happened often.

He liked listening to their daily lives. It was a good distraction for him. Fuu's biggest problem was figuring out how to keep a leaf on her forehead using chakra. Naruto learned how to balance himself on one leg. Yugito wanted permission to take the chuunin exams, despite being jounin level already. B kept trying and failing to rap. Unlike Yagura, they didn't have to worry about the Bloody Civil War.

After the disastrous fight, no one had tried to communicate with him. They were undoubtedly relieved that he left of his own will and were hoping he would never visit again. But it had been nice to be away from the facade that was his life, especially for a fight. He wanted to go to the Room again, despite everything.

Yagura needed to get away.

One week after, his mind pulled him into the Room once he fell asleep.

It was very late, past midnight, and the others had inevitably gone to sleep already. The only one there was the incredibly tall man wearing armor. From the hitai-ate, Yagura knew that he was from Iwagakure.

The man tensed when he sensed Yagura. He moved his body into a taijutsu defensive position. He was obviously expecting a return to their last fight.

"What do you want?" the man asked in a deep and dangerous voice. "You shouldn't have come here."

"Nothing, I just want to get away," Yagura waved his hand to try to calm the man down, "I'm not going to fight you."

Yagura had left behind his staff and his Mizukage outfit from his current manifestation. He wanted to look as unthreatening as possible. However, the man didn't trust him and he didn't move out of his defensive position._ He's an experienced ninja. I wouldn't trust me either._

Yagura shrugged. He didn't want a fight. They might not die or be injured while inside the Room. However, the morning after the fight, he had woken up with a migraine worse than anything else he had felt before. The pain had only made his miserable situation worse. Even having his eye torn out and reconnected had paled in comparison.

Instead of talking, Yagura plopped down onto the floor of the Room and looked up at the domed ceiling. The tiles felt cold on his body. The temperature had a grounding effect when his mind felt like it was going to float away.

He forced himself to relax and for tension to leave his body. He took deep breaths in and out. He wished the young jinchuuriki were there. They reminded him of Asahi and Kasumi, even though they looked nothing like his son and daughter.

Yagura laid on the floor, not speaking or moving, only allowing his body to relax. The crisis in Kirigakure could wait for an hour.

When he finally stood up and stretched to go to sleep, the man from Iwa was still in the same position, eyeing him warily. Yagura snorted._ As if you're worth fighting, old man. That migraine was not worth it._

"Good night," Yagura said, forcing himself to be polite. The man didn't reply.

As he allowed his mind to leave the Room, he noted that the man hadn't moved from his initial defensive position. _Get ready to see me again, old man. And often. I'm using this Room whether you want me to or not._

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Fuu's eyes are hypnotic.**

**For my characterization of Yagura, I like to imagine this (**ง •**̀_•́)**ง **emoticon. He tries to look serious and calm but he's a Napoleon complex in a human body. He's ready to throw down anytime, anywhere.**

**In regards to Yagura's wife and children... according to the Boruto anime, Yagura had a grandson named Kagura. This means that his children have to be older than Naruto unless Naruto had Boruto late and/or Yagura's kids were teen parents. I tried to do the math, but the Naruto timeline is weird and contradictory. Anzu, Asahi, and Kasumi are my OCs, of course. They will be background characters.**

**Only one jinchuuriki left! Utakata, you will join the family whether you want to or not! Fuu won't give you any other choice!**

**You can talk to me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Utakata is traumatized.**


	5. First Impressions

**In which Utakata grows up and Yagura apologizes.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

As winter got nearer, snow fell throughout the Land of Water. In the afternoon sun, however, it melted as soon as it touched the ground, refusing to gather. Nevertheless, the weather was cold, humid, and overall uncomfortable.

In a large training area at the edge of Kirigakure, thirteen-year-old Utakata trained alone. He took his pipe and put it inside the soap solution. When he blew, instead of the stream of bubbles he wanted, he created a few malformed spheres instead.

_Shit. That was supposed to be a new attack. That was worthless._

For the past few months, he had been trying to create a new jutsu. He wanted to reduce the time needed to form the bubbles while also increasing the total quantity. However, it was difficult to concentrate on his jutsu when all he could think about was the damn Room.

He had been seven years old, shortly after the Rokubi had been sealed, when he had first seen it. He had fallen asleep and woken up inside a Room just large enough to host a graduation match. There had been nine Doors corresponding to the bijuu, each labeled with kanji for the numbers one to nine. Some Doors had been glowing with chakra while others were dim. Seals he couldn't ever hope to understand had been written on the walls and the domed ceiling.

After his first visit, he had vowed to never visit again and forced himself to ignore the voices of the others. Sometimes, a young woman had tried talking to him. She had talked about her old village of Uzushio and asked him questions about his life. He had never answered back and had used all his mental fortitude to block out any insights she could gain about him.

Eventually, the woman stopped talking to him and for a few months, it was finally quiet. He sometimes heard the others talking or practicing their jutsu. He ignored them all, although he had to fortify his mental defenses whenever one of them started rapping. They were nothing more than mild distractions in his life.

Everything changed that night. Utakata had felt an immense pressure building up in his chest. For a terrifying few minutes, he had felt like his entire body had been buried underground. His lungs had burned from the lack of air and his body had been pushed from all sides by an invisible weight. Although the immense pain was brief, it had taken him the rest of the night to calm down. He had known that the Room was responsible, just like he knew that the other people were jinchuuriki.

After that night, he has tried to send the incident to the back of his mind. However, as the weeks passed and the voices in his head grew louder, he couldn't.

Frustratingly, he learned a lot about them. Fuu was a young girl who liked to run around and look after a toddler named Naruto. B was from Kumo and liked rapping. Yugito liked teaching Fuu and Naruto basic ninja techniques. For some reason, one of the shinobi had the nickname of "Mama" while another one was "Papa." They seemed to be the only ones that Fuu and Naruto obeyed without question.

Learning about the strangers made him feel like he was forced to attend a movie blindfolded. He was unable to see what was happening and he didn't want to listen, but he knew the plot anyway.

To make it worse, Utakata's techniques had gotten sloppy. His mind was too distracted to give his best effort and his progress had stagnated as a result. He hadn't been able to sleep the entire night, either. His master, Harusame, had started to notice as well. After a few days of mediocrity, he had prohibited Utakata from taking advanced missions.

Utakata knew that his master was worried. He was normally a good student and it never took him long to learn new techniques or improve on his current ones. But now...

_My skills are on par with an academy student._

As he bemoaned his lot in life, his master walked into the training area from the house. He was eyeing him attentively, hands behind his back and spectacles low. Utakata tried to refocus. He inhaled and tried his attack again.

Despite his best efforts, the bubbles Utakata formed were smaller than he wanted and popped immediately. He cursed under his breath. He had wanted to impress his master but his jutsu was pathetic.

"You haven't been acting normal lately, Utakata-kun," Harusame said as he raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Master," Utakata lied. "I'm fine."

As soon as he answered, a bubble exploded next to his ear. Utakata startled and fell back. He rubbed his hand over his hurt ear and groaned. The pain would fade in a few seconds, but the sudden pop stung.

"That doesn't look fine," Harusame murmured as he stared at Utakata on the ground. "You're a chuunin, you should have seen that attack coming from a mile away."

Utakata looked away. It was already embarrassing to be stagnating, but having his master look at him like that was worse. He hadn't fallen for any of Harusame's surprise attacks in years.

From the other side of the training grounds, Harusame sighed and began to walk closer. Utakata tensed when his master loomed over him, but Harusame simply extended his hand to pull him back up.

"Really, Utakata-kun?" his master sounded incredulous. "I've known you for years. You can tell me what's wrong. Trust me."

Utakata bit his lip. He couldn't talk about the Room.

Information suppression seals were not uncommon. He had seen Harusame use them whenever a shinobi needed to keep intel classified. Sealed information was impossible to be obtained by others, even under the worst torture. Utakata theorized that the seals in the Room must include something similar. He had never felt like saying anything about the Room to anyone.

Even if he had the ability to speak about the shared mind space, it would be a foolish idea. He suspected he would be sent to Torture and Investigation upon his confession. Kirigakure would extract as much intel about the villages and their jinchuuriki out of him as possible. He doubted they would be gentle when collecting the information either.

"I have been having trouble sleeping lately," he admitted. It wasn't a lie. Listening to Naruto shriek as Fuu or "Mama" chased him around kept him awake every night.

"Ah, and why is that, Utakata-kun?" Harusame asked next.

Utakata didn't respond. He couldn't respond. Instead, he looked away again with his head down and a grimace on his face.

"I see," his master said with a cunning smile. "I think I know what's happening here."

"What?" Utakata asked, confused. _What could he suspect?_

"Adolescence, of course!" Harusame responded with a smile as he ruffled Utakata's hair. "My little student is growing up. I knew the day would come, sooner or later."

"What?! No, Master, it's not puberty!" Utakata looked back at Harusame, face burning. "There's nothing wrong with me. I just can't sleep."

"Oh, and why can't you sleep?" Harusame was smiling at him now, a victorious look on his face. "My student is growing up. Well, I wasn't sure when this day would come, but there are many things I need to tell you now that you are older."

Utakata's face was on fire and the cold temperature didn't help. He didn't need his master to talk to him about something so embarrassing. Unfortunately, he knew Harusame had a good theory that didn't betray the existence of the Room. He tried to protest again, although that time it was only half-hearted.

"It's not puberty," he complained with a small pout. His master smiled again and pulled him by the elbow.

"There's a lot you need to know," he said. "Growing up is a magical and confusing time. Feel free to ask me any questions you want."

Harusame pulled him into the house and took him to the living room. He sat Utakata down on the floor cushions and made his way into a seated position on the tatami floor.

Utakata wanted to escape, but his master was both faster and more experienced than he was. He would be captured again in a heartbeat. He wanted to say that he had already read about puberty in a book, but Harusame wouldn't accept his excuse. He reluctantly settled down to listen.

"Now, it all begins with the pituitary gland," Harusame said in his lecturing voice. "It may be little, but it has big plans!"

Utakata buried his face into the palms of his hands and groaned.

When Harusame finished, Utakata wished he could talk about the Room to non-jinchuuriki from the bottom of his heart. Being tortured sounded better than listening to his master talk about hormones.

"Do you have any questions, my student?" Harusame said with a smile.

Utakata shook his head dumbly. He had learned more than he ever needed or wanted to know. The last vestiges of childhood, which he didn't know still existed, were trampled away. Still silent, he stood up to walk back to the training grounds. Frustration was better than mortification.

His master gave him a parting smile and got to the kitchen to get started on dinner.

Utakata groaned. _At least Harusame-sensei is less suspicious now. Silver linings._

**O-O-O-O-O**

After his interaction with the ridiculously tall man, Yagura vowed to visit the Room every night, no matter how the others reacted.

In particular, he wanted to catch a glimpse of the two young children again. Even though they looked nothing like his Asahi and Kasumi, they reminded him of his children. For the millionth time, he cursed being brainwashed.

Yagura knew that if he truly wanted to, he could have tracked his family down. He knew Anzu better than anyone and she had left the beginning of a trail that no one but him could have followed.

If he did find them, however, he would only put them in danger. They would be killed or used as hostages by the political players in Kirigakure. Knowing Anzu's abilities, they were safe in another country. He couldn't risk their lives just to look at them, no matter what.

However, despite his efforts to talk to the others, Yagura was rejected every time. Whenever Yagura entered the Room, the other jinchuuriki would run away. They said hurried goodbyes to one another and left, abandoning Yagura to his solitude. The entire situation made him feel unwanted, to say the least.

He knew that their reaction was entirely his fault. He shouldn't have attacked first and asked questions later.

Yagura left when they disappeared, feeling annoyed and lonely. He reappeared later past midnight when only the tall man was present. He was the only one that didn't immediately run away. Yagura usually found him standing in front of the Door for the Ichibi Jinchuuriki.

After their first reunion, the tension between the two had been dropping slowly but steadily.

For the first few days, as soon as Yagura appeared, the man would take a strong defensive position. He would maintain his position until Yagura left. By the second week, the man gave him a wary glare but said nothing. He then continued his conversation with the Ichibi's container while Yagura sulked. Three weeks after, the tall man only glanced back before placing his hand back on the Door. Meanwhile, the others continued to run away at the sight of Yagura.

Now, it was almost December and he still hadn't had a real conversation with anyone except Isobu since he broke free of the illusion. Yagura was tired of it. While he enjoyed talking to his bijuu, Isobu liked to sleep too much for him to be a good conversationalist. If the others didn't want to talk to him, then he would make them.

Trying to keep his body language casual, Yagura walked to stand next to the man. The man tensed slightly but made no effort to stop him or leave._ I will have a friendly conversation if it's the last thing I do, damn it._

"You're always standing next to the door of the Ichibi Jinchuuriki," Yagura commented. "Is there a reason for that?"

The man hesitated before answering, likely expecting some kind of trap. He seemed to decide that the attempt at conversation was genuine, however, and he pried his hand away from the Door.

"This jinchuuriki has a faulty seal," he explained. "He's very young and lonely. Talking to him cheers him up and helps deal with the side effects."

"What his name?" Yagura asked.

The man hesitated again before answering, "Gaara. Because of his seal, he hears the voice of his bijuu talking to him nearly non-stop. If he falls asleep, the beast takes over his body until he wakes up. Do you remember feeling a sudden pain about five weeks ago?"

_That was when the genjutsu broke._

Yagura nodded. "Yeah, how is that related?"

"Well, the boy disobeyed orders to stay awake and decided to join the other kids in the Room. The beast was released and the Kazekage buried the kid in tons of sand to wake him up."

Yagura hummed in understanding. Sealing was tricky in the best of circumstances, even when making a simple storage scroll. Messing up on a seal meant to suppress a being of pure chakra was catastrophic.

"Well, that's just a shitty and fucked up situation, to say the least," Yagura responded. The man winced.

"Please try not to use coarse language while the kids are nearby," he warned. "Naruto has been saying 'fuck' to everyone for the past month. If Roshi hears you say those words in front of the children he might actually travel to Kirigakure to kill you. He probably won't succeed, but he will do everything in his power to burn down your village while he's there."

Yagura rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll try not to corrupt their sensitive little ears."

Yagura walked to stand in front of the door of the young jinchuuriki. He hovered his hand tentatively over it and glanced up at the man. When the other man didn't object, he placed his left hand on the Door, cognizant of the scrutinizing stare.

_'Hello, little one,' _he said to the boy.

_'Ah, hello, who are you? Are you new?'_

_'Yes, kid, my name is Yagura. What's your name?'_

_'My name is Gaara',_ the boy hesitated before continuing._ 'Nice to meet you.'_

_'Nice to meet you, too,'_ Yagura replied.

_'Are you the one that was fighting Mama, Papa, and B-sama before?'_

Yagura winced. He wasn't surprised that the others had told the boy what had happened. Gaara probably already thought he was an enemy.

_'Yes, that was me,' _he admitted. _'I'm sorry about that. I was feeling very angry and I attacked them without thinking. Can you forgive me?'_

_'That's okay, I forgive you,'_ the boy cheerfully replied. _'Are you going to hurt them again?'_

_'No, I won't.'_

_'Do you promise?'_

_'I promise.'_

_'That's good! I wanna talk again, Yagura-san.'_

_'Thanks, kid. We'll talk soon, I hope. Goodbye for now.'_

_'Goodbye!'_

Yagura disconnected from the Door and looked up at the tall man. He had been studying Yagura while he talked with Gaara. He seemed to have been looking for something in particular. Whatever it was, he looked satisfied because he started the conversation that time.

"So Mizukage-sama, what should I call you, anyway?" the tall man asked.

"My name is Yagura," he answered. "Yagura Karatachi. And you?"

"My name is Han," the man replied. "I'm from Iwagakure. Nice to meet you"

He extended his hand. Yagura shook his hand and felt ridiculous as he had to crane his neck up to look at Han in the eyes.

"Nice to meet you, too," he answered back. "And who are the other ones, anyway?"

Han hesitated again before he spoke. He seemed to wonder if telling him about them counted as a betrayal. He must have realized that Yagura couldn't get much from basic descriptions, however, because he started to talk.

"Well," he began, "there is another Iwa vessel. He's the short red-headed one. His name is Roshi. The little girl is Fuu. She's from Takigakure. The little blonde boy is named Naruto. He's from Konoha. The teenage girl is Yugito. She's from Kumo. The other tall shinobi is Killer B."

"Killer B?" Yagura asked in surprise. "Didn't he almost defeat the Yellow Flash in a fight? I didn't know he was a jinchuuriki."

"The very same," Han noded. "B is kind of an idiot though. He likes rapping a little too much, in my opinion. He's not even good at it."

Yagura nodded. He had heard B rapping before, including during the fight, and he agreed with Han's assessment. Silence fell over the two men as they awkwardly tried to think of something to talk about. Yagura was the one to break the silence.

"Anyway, there's something I wanted to say first," Yagura stated and he brushed his bangs back from his face. "I'm sorry about how I attacked all of you."

He continued, "if it makes you feel better, after our fight, I woke up with a bitch of a migraine. I think my advisors thought that I was going to kill them. I'm sure you already know, but the political situation in Kiri is very delicate right now."

Han accepted the apology with a nod and a grunt.

"I know, I woke up with a terrible migraine, too" he admitted. "It's part of the Room's seals. We can't hurt or kill each other in here. Extensive chakra use counts as trying to kill one another."

"Yeah, I wish I'd known before attacking any of you," Yagura replied with a frown. It had felt worse than any hangover he'd ever had. He wouldn't ever try to use chakra for battling again while inside the Room. It wasn't worth it.

Han looked down to stare at Yagura more carefully.

"I have a question, too," he said. "Do you know the identity of the Six-Tails Jinchuuriki?"

"Of course," Yagura scoffed as he answered. "I'm the Mizukage and he's one of my citizens. Why do you ask?"

"The Six-Tails jinchuuriki hasn't talked to any of us." Han looked back over his shoulder to stare at the Door inscribed with the kanji of the number six. "Kushina might have communicated with him once or twice, but she's dead so we'll never know if they ever talked. Fuu and Naruto are curious, too. Fuu especially wants to meet everyone."

Yagura hummed in thought. The girl had seemed fixated on the idea of everyone staying together as a family in the little time he got to see her. Now that his own family was far away, he could understand her sentiment.

Yagura considered Han's answer and thought about Utakata. The boy lived a comfortable life with Harusame, the only sealing master in Kirigakure. He had been mostly kept out of the civil war, safe because of a combination of age, experience, and status as a vessel.

"Sorry, but I can't," Yagura finally replied. "Us shinobi get so little privacy already. I don't want to expose any of my citizens without consent, even to other jinchuuriki."

"I see," Han replied with a sigh. "Although I have to say that I'm very curious about his identity. I hope he joins us soon. The girl has been even more curious ever since you appeared."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is. We get so few choices. The Rokubi Jinchuuriki deserves this little one."

Han nodded as he stared down at Yagura. _It's really uncomfortable to keep looking up just to talk._

"Anyway, I think it's about time for me to go," Yagura said as he walked back to his Door. "I enjoyed our conversation. I hope we can talk again soon. And, once again, sorry for attacking you all so quickly. I hope you can all forgive me."

"Good night," Han said. "I will pass your apology on to the others. I believe they will accept it once I talk to them. The kids, in particular, are very forgiving. Be careful with Yugito, though. That girl is vicious."

Yagura rolled his eyes but nodded and gave a lazy wave goodbye before vanishing for the night. He was glad that he had a new conversation partner. He needed someone he could talk to other than Isobu.

The next night, he entered the Room as had become the norm. That time, instead of running, the others looked at him warily before resuming their activities. Naruto and Fuu played with toys while the red-headed man, Roshi, supervised from a short distance away. They stared at him but said nothing as Yagura walked to kneel down next to Roshi.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior," Yagura said as he bent his head down. "I reacted before thinking when I could have handled the situation much better. I'm sorry."

The other man waved his apology off.

"It's alright," Roshi answered. "It's in the past now. Han told us how you apologized to him and talked to Gaara. That boy needs as much attention as he can get, even if it comes from someone so short and easily-angered."

Yagura wondered if hypocrisy was contagious. Roshi was at most two inches taller. He breathed deeply in and out, forcing a smile on his face. He gritted his teeth. With a little effort, he kept himself from punching the other man.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the children. They had stopped playing and were instead looking at him curiously.

"Are you usually the one looking after the kids?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, and they are a menace. Don't let their cute little faces fool you. Can you believe that these little brats call me 'Mama'?" Roshi glared at them in anger. He might have been more convincing if he wasn't smiling and blushing, however.

The children grinned back at Roshi from where they were playing on the floor. He obviously called them brats all the time, no doubt with the same dopey smile. Yagura couldn't help but chuckle. The man reminded him so much of himself. Anzu always used to tease him whenever he started cooing over Asahi and Kasumi.

"Children really are menaces, aren't they?" he said with a kind smile at the boy and girl. Beaming, they went back to their game, happy to ignore the two adults in the Room.

He knew that Asahi and Kasumi would have enjoyed playing with other kids their age. As children of the Mizukage, they didn't get many opportunities to play with others.

Roshi stared back at him. When he saw Yagura's fond look, he tried to make conversation.

"Do you have your own kids?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I do," Yagura admitted. "A boy and a girl, although they are older than these two. The oldest one is probably starting his shinobi training now. My younger daughter was always so calm and serious, even as a baby. My wife said she took after me but personally, I always thought she was most like her mother."

He clenched his jaw. Talking about his family was painful and he didn't know when he would see them again, if ever. Even if he managed to end the war, his descendants would carry the stain of his bloodline for their entire lives. Asahi and Kasumi would hate him for his legacy if they didn't hate him already for abandoning them.

Yagura tried to keep his face calm but some of the pain must have shown through because Roshi tensed. Silence fell over the two as Roshi processed the confession. He seemed to understand Yagura's somber mood because he changed the topic quickly.

"So is the situation in Kiri as much of a... mess as all of the intelligence reports say?" Roshi asked. Yagura happily accepted the change in topic.

"It is," Yagura admitted. "It's probably worse than most villages suspect. It was a shock for me as well. I was under a genjutsu the entire time. Now I can't do anything different without fearing that I will be put under again."

"WHAT?" Roshi yelled. "A GENJUTSU?"

The children turned to look curiously at the two men sitting side by side. Roshi winced and waved at them that it was nothing. The boy and girl returned once more to their game.

"A genjutsu?" he asked again, quieter that time.

"Yes, for three years. Kiri wasn't doing great when I went under but it was better than now. When I woke up, three years of war had passed. All but two of my swordsmen had left or been killed. And my former student was the leader of the rebellion to remove me from power."

"How did you break out of it?" Roshi asked with one eyebrow raised.

"The Kazekage broke it by accident," he said. "When the Ichibi was suppressed, it created so much pain that the genjutsu broke. I feel like I should thank the Room for that, to be honest."

"Well, at least something good happened," Roshi chuckled. "Gaara refused to talk to us for over a week after that. He'll be happy to know that something good came out of the whole incident."

Together, the two men looked back to watch fondly over the children. Asahi and Kasumi's faces imposed themselves over Naruto and Fuu. His heart ached. Yagura hoped that wherever they were, they were safe and happy.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Three months after the incident and Utakata still couldn't sleep. His performance had become so pathetic that Harusame hadn't allowed him to take any missions alone except for D-ranked ones. Even on those missions, his master forced himself as a companion. He said it was "just in case."

Utakata tossed and turned as he tried to go to sleep. He felt simultaneously hot and cold. No matter how he lied down or how he arranged his futon, he couldn't get comfortable. He was hearing the voices again. Part of him wondered if he was just crazy and there was no shared mind space at all.

His curiosity was too high to suppress anymore and his jutsu had been mediocre. Harusame still believed his performance was due to hitting adolescence and Utakata was fine with him thinking that. He could tolerate the embarrassment. What he couldn't tolerate anymore, however, was getting only a few hours of sleep a night. Unfortunately, the only solution was the most dangerous option.

If there was one thing that had been drilled into his mind, it was that Kiri ninja didn't interact with foreigners. The other jinchuuriki were foreigners, despite their shared Room.

But there were no other options anymore. He couldn't tell anyone about the Room. No matter how much he meditated and tried to increase his mental abilities, he couldn't block them out. Even at the moment, he could hear voices that belonged to Fuu, Naruto, Mama, and a stranger.

Utakata gave up. He stopped fighting the instinct that had been calling to him since the Six-Tails was sealed. When he closed his eyes to sleep, his mind pulled him from the safety of subconscious thought and into the large circular Room he had seen only once.

He felt his mind push open a Door. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of a dark blue Door marked with the kanji for "six." The other jinchuuriki turned immediately to stare at him. Utakata stared back warily, taking in the scene. He flinched when he saw who was standing next to a short red-headed man.

"MIZUKAGE-SAMA?!" he yelled in surprise.

"Utakata-kun?" the Mizukage replied. His eyes were wide and he sounded surprised. However, unlike Utakata, his voice was carefully controlled.

"You're a jinchuuriki!?" he shouted in disbelief.

The Mizukage looked back at the boy. "Yes, I'm the vessel of the Three-Tails. No one really knows. Even many of my own advisors don't know. If they did, Isobu would have been extracted long ago."

Utakata gulped. He hadn't expected to meet another Kirigakure ninja in the Room, let alone the Mizukage. He tried to get his breathing back under control before speaking. If he insulted him, the Mizukage could decide that Utakata would be better off dead. Or worse, he could threaten Harusame. He forced himself to exhale.

"Did you know I was a jinchuuriki?" Utakata asked the man. He cringed when his voice came out shaky.

The Mizukage rolled his eyes and snorted. "Of course! Harusame sealed the Six-Tails under my orders, after all. You have a naturally high chakra capacity that makes you ideal to housing a bijuu."

Utakata had only wanted to enter the Room to sate his curiosity and to be able to sleep. He hadn't expected the world to be turned upside down. The man responsible for the violent civil war not only had Utakata's life in his hands but was also responsible for his existence.

_This is a lot more information than I wanted. _Utakata couldn't run away now. The Mizukage knew where he lived. He needed to have as much emotional restraint as possible. He forced himself to take a deep breath in and out. He clenched his fists to keep them from shaking too much.

He tried to say something back, but the words caught in his throat. He wasn't even sure what he could say. That he hated the Mizukage's guts for starting the Bloody Civil War? That he wished he would just die and leave a new and better person in his place? He liked his head where it currently was.

Thankfully, he wasn't the one to break the silence.

"Hey, kid, my name's Roshi," the short red-headed man said with a wave of his hand. "This little girl is Fuu of Takigakure and the little blond terror is Naruto Uzumaki."

At his introduction, the two children waved at Utakata. They had been building a tower using wooden blocks, but at Roshi's words, they stood up.

"Hello! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" the little boy said while pointing at himself with a tiny thumb. He was blond and blue-eyed and his cheeks had whisker marks on them.

"My name is Fuu! What's your name?" the girl said with a big smile. She was dark-skinned and had short green hair and large orange eyes that could hypnotize anyone. She moved closer to him and Utakata forced himself not to step back. _She's just a little girl. What can she do?_

"Utakata," he answered simply as he allowed the child to get closer.

"Wow! You're tall!" she said. "I'm so happy you're here because you are the last jinchuuriki to join the Room! Oh! If Naruto and Gaara are my little brothers, Yugito is my big sister, and I have Mama and Papa, does that make you my big brother?"

Utakata flinched and took a step back. "Big brother?"

"Yup! You're older than me but younger than Yugito, so that makes you our big brother," she said with complete confidence before turning to look at Naruto. "Isn't that nice, Naruto-chan? You have a big brother now, too!"

Utakata was confused. He wasn't sure how he became the big brother to three children when he hadn't even said ten words to them yet. The boy looked contemplative and walked to stand next to Fuu. He studied Utakata with a concentrated look on his face. He took the sleeve of his yukata in his hands and pulled on it.

"Utakata-nii, why you have pajamas?" he asked and he moved the hem closer to his eyes to examine it.

Utakata pulled his sleeve away from the boy's hands, "I'm not wearing pajamas! This is my yukata! Don't touch it or I'll hit you!"

From behind the children, he heard Yagura chuckling next to the red-headed man, who was full out laughing. Utakata listened to his peals of laughter and couldn't stop himself. He clenched his fists so hard that if it were the real world, his palms would have been bleeding.

"HOW CAN YOU LAUGH?" he yelled at the Mizukage. "How dare you be so carefree!? End the stupid civil war if you have enough time to spend with foreigners! The Land of Water is suffering so much already because of you!"

The Mizukage's laughter stopped immediately. He looked up at Utakata with an indecipherable look on his face. At once, the children ran back to stand behind Roshi. Fuu whispered something in Naruto's ear but Utakata couldn't hear them. He was too furious at the Mizukage to care anyway. The temperature in the Room seemed to drop as Utakata and the Mizukage faced each other.

"Of course I'm working on ending the war," he said. "But it's a complicated situation, worse than you could ever imagine. The truth is that-"

"I don't care!" Utakata interrupted before Yagura could give his excuse. "You're supposed to protect the village. If you can't do that, get someone who can!"

Before the Mizukage had time to respond, Utakata turned around and forced his mind to depart.

_Shit. I probably shouldn't have insulted the man who holds my life in his hands_, he thought before he went to sleep. He entered deep sleep peacefully for the first time in weeks. To his relief, he had no dreams.

The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested for the first time in months. Part of him was surprised that he hadn't been murdered in his sleep. Anxiously, he checked in on his master, but Harusame was sleeping, snoring lightly. Utakata sighed in relief. Despite learning something he hadn't wanted to, his curiosity was finally satisfied. He hoped he could no longer be distracted with thoughts of the Room.

Still, he couldn't help but worry. He had insulted the most powerful man in the country and run away immediately afterward. He doubted life would go on as normal. For the rest of the day, Utakata feared that the Mizukage would take him and his master for execution. However, the day passed by like any other and Utakata resigned himself to keep living.

During training, he was able to complete all of the katas that his master prepared and more. Satisfied, Utakata smiled as he blew a stream of bubbles that exploded on impact. His master's nod at the strength of his jutsu made his heart warm up with happiness.

In the afternoon, as he was getting ready to take a nap, Utakata heard someone talking to him through the Room. It sounded like the voice of a young woman.

_'Hello, are you Utakata-san?'_

He hesitated for a second before answering. _'Yes, I'm Utakata. Who are you?'_

_'My name is Yugito. Roshi-san told me what happened yesterday. Is it true that you chewed out the tiny Mizukage for being lazy and irresponsible?'_

Utakata winced. When she put it like that, he couldn't believe his head was still attached to his neck._ 'Yeah, I did. But that's only because he pissed me off so much!'_

The woman laughed. _'Good, good, I'm glad someone finally put that little pipsqueak in his place. Roshi-san said that his jaw dropped when you yelled at him.'_

_'Well... I wouldn't know, I left soon afterward,' _Utakata said.

_'Doesn't matter. You've got some guts kid,' _she told him. '_Come and join us. The Tiny Terror isn't here and I want to congratulate you face to face.'_

_'Are you sure that-'_

_'Yes, I'm sure. Just come and join us. Only B and I are here.'_

Utakata sighed. He had only wanted to sate his curiosity in order to ignore the others for the rest of his life. Still, he did as he was asked. The woman had asked nicely, after all. It helped that she had insulted the Mizukage.

He sat in a lotus position to meditate and soon enough, his mind manifested itself inside the Room. There was a kunoichi- barely older than him- standing with her hands on her hips, analyzing him. Next to her was a tall dark-skinned man with his arms crossed.

"Congratulations, kid," the young woman said. "I've been wanting to insult that angry Mizukage and not only have you done that, but you've actually gotten away with it. Congrats!"

"Oh, yeah! That fool didn't know what was coming, my heartbeat was drumming," the man said. "My name is B but you can call me Lord Jinchuuriki, ya dumbass phony!"

At these words, the man struck a pose to show off his large upper body muscles. Utakata couldn't help but feel intimidated as the man loomed over him. The man was much taller and physically stronger than he was.

"Yes, Lord Jinchuuriki," he replied, slightly nervous as he took a step back.

At his response, Yugito rolled her eyes and slapped the man on the arm.

"Call him B-chan," she said with a serious voice. "He isn't and has never been the Lord of anything."

"Yugito-chan, don't be scary," B argued back although he didn't sound particularly bothered by her words.

_Are they really jinchuuriki? They look so happy and friendly._

Yugito rolled her eyes again before turning back to Utakata. They obviously knew each other well if they could bicker like that.

"But seriously, kid," she said, her face lowered and her eyes kind. "I'm glad that you said something to that arrogant little man. If you ever need anything, get in contact with us. I have the Two-Tails and B has the Eight-Tails. You can touch my Door if you want to talk."

She continued, "B doesn't look like it, but he's a very strong shinobi. He can teach you a new technique or give you feedback on one of yours. He's surprisingly smart when it comes to ninjutsu and kenjutsu. He's just an idiot with everything else. I'm focused more on taijutsu, so if you want, we can spar together. Nothing serious, though, I don't want to wake up with a migraine. What do you say?"

"Oh... uh... thank you," Utakata replied, embarrassed. He didn't know it would be so easy to get new training partners. Part of him thought that they were only trying to manipulate him, but they didn't seem to expect much from him.

"You're welcome," Yugito said as she put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Please try to come often. This Yagura is a bastard and the children are menaces, but it would be nice to have someone like you here too. Will you visit us again?"

Before he knew what he was agreeing to, Utakata was nodding at her question. He would try joining them in the Room occasionally, even if he ran into the risk of meeting the Mizukage.

At his nod, the two older ninja smiled down at him. They looked so happy at the possibility of making a new friend and training partner. His heart seemed to skip a beat.

_Maybe visiting the Room isn't so bad after all._

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: The scene with Harusame and Utakata is based on a similar scene in Gravity Falls. I just thought it was funny.**

**If you want, you can contact me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Yugito stares off with the Raikage.**


	6. A Plea From a Friend

**In which Yugito faces the Raikage, Gaara learns something new, and Mei Terumi makes an appearance.**

**Warning for descriptions of a panic attack.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

As Tsuyoi-sensei gave their mission report to the Raikage, Yugito thought about Utakata.

He was the newest jinchuuriki in the Room. Yugito already liked him much more than the short-tempered Mizukage. Han and Roshi had told her that the man, Yagura, was repentant about his actions. However, Yugito was not the type to forgive and forget. Unlike the older shinobi, she hadn't gotten the chance to let her frustration out.

Utakata, meanwhile, she liked. They had started talking through his Door's link. He didn't enter the Room often but he responded whenever she talked to him. He provided friendly conversation during the day or whenever she was bored. Although he was a little awkward and apprehensive when talking to her or B, Yugito couldn't help but admire him.

Utakata had guts and determination. He was willing to say his real thoughts, as demonstrated by the telling off he had given the Mizukage.

Although he was younger by three years, they had similar experiences. They had both completed an almost equal number of missions. The other jinchuuriki were either far more advanced than her or babies in her eyes. Utakata was a professional equal.

The few times he had turned up in the Room, they had sparred with one another. While she was a close-ranged fighter, he fought from a distance and used bubbles in a variety of imaginative ways. She thought that if they were in a team, they would have complemented each other well.

Yugito was envious of him. Unlike her, he was already a chuunin. He had been promoted when he was eleven years old after only one year of active service. Yugito, meanwhile, had been a genin since she was eight. She had never even been given the chance to participate in the chuunin exams.

Thinking about the situation only served to make her resent the Raikage. She enjoyed her work, but she hated the total control A had over her life. Part of her wanted to scream in his face that he couldn't control her anymore.

Inside the Raikage's office, however, she forced herself to keep a passive face. He was her leader and she owed her allegiance to him, no matter what.

Yugito looked at the two other kunoichi that surrounded her.

Samui and Mabui sympathized with the burden that came with being the vessel to a bijuu. However, they had their own lives and reputations to improve as well. She knew they resented her for their lack of advancement. Despite their many completed missions, there had been no promotions or chuunin exams.

Yugito understood A's fears. If she were to participate in exams held in Kumo, clients would petition her for dangerous missions. Meanwhile, if she were to take the exam elsewhere, her safety would be compromised and there would be a risk of desertion. No matter what, her value as a vessel was more important than her value as a shinobi. It was clear that he didn't want to advance her because of her status as jinchuuriki.

B was the only one that truly understood her frustration. B hadn't been allowed to leave the village since the Third Shinobi War had ended. Like Yugito, he was locked up in the relative safety of the Land of Lighting.

She knew that her skills were those of a chuunin, if not a jounin. All she wanted was the recognition through a professional title. That Utakata already had that promotion only managed to get under her skin. Besides, B had promised to tell her how to tame her bijuu only if she became a chuunin.

A was passive as he listened to Tsuyoi-sensei's report. Her teacher finished speaking and A gave them all a sharp nod. Yugito could tell that they were dismissed. Next to her, Samui and Mabui turned around to leave the office. However, they stopped when they heard Yugito clear her throat.

"Permission to speak, Raikage-sama?" she asked.

"Permission granted. What do you want, Yugito?" A said as he glared from behind his desk. Samui and Mabui turned back to stand at her sides, a team united. They looked at her in confusion but turned their eyes back on A, waiting to see what Yugito would say.

"Raikage-sama," Yugito began. "I would like to formally ask for permission to take the chuunin exams with my genin team later in the year. I heard rumors that Iwagakure is holding the next series of exams in February."

"I don't know where you get your information from, Yugito," A complained.

_A little monkey told me. He's wonderfully chatty._

A's glare hardened when he looked at her, contemplative and furious. A lesser ninja would have frozen under his fierce glare, but Yugito had confronted a creature made out of pure chakra in her mind. Even the Raikage paled in comparison to the Two-Tails. Her teammates remained calm and collected next to her, although Tsuyoi-sensei tensed. Yugito stared back impassively, refusing to be intimidated.

A gave her a final look and sighed, leaning back in his chair. Some of the tension left the room as the Raikage stretched his arms over his head.

"I guess it's about time for you brats to be promoted," he grunted. He gave her one final contemplative look.

"Fine, I give you permission to take your genin team to Iwagakure," he said as he opened a drawer in his desk to take out some paperwork. "You will all need to sign and submit these documents before January 31. Iwagakure is a nominal ally. Nevertheless, I don't need to tell you that any information about your bijuu needs to be kept under wraps."

"Of course, Raikage-sama," Yugito kept her voice mild, but inside she was singing and dancing with joy. From the aura emanating from her teammates, she knew that they felt the same way.

"Thank you very much for the opportunity, Raikage-sama," her sensei said as he bowed down to A.

The Raikage nodded in acknowledgment. He handed each of them a document. She took the paper reverently in her hands.

Yugito looked down at the form and smiled. After she passed the chuunin exam, she would be at the same level as Utakata and B would take her to Genbu. If she gave a good enough showing, she might even be promoted directly to jounin. She would love to bypass the chuunin rank entirely.

The three genin bowed down to the Raikage before turning around to leave the office. The paper felt like hope inside Yugito's hands and she was sure Samui and Mabui felt the same way. She was excited to finally leave Kumogakure, too. If she was lucky, she might even see Roshi or Han in person.

_One can only hope._

**O-O-O-O-O**

After what happened with Shukaku, Gaara's monitoring increased ten-fold. He couldn't close his eyes for more than five seconds before a masked ninja flickered next to him and shook him awake. They moved so quickly and appeared so suddenly that the sand fought back, perceiving a threat.

His mind was already exhausted enough as it was. The constant interruptions from his guards added to that. To make it even worse, he couldn' enjoy storytime the same way anymore.

Roshi was telling him, Naruto, and Fuu a story about how he had protected a beautiful princess from the monstrous Aburame clan using his lava release. According to Roshi, he had fought beetles that drank human blood with only his legs after his arms were broken. The story was immersive and Roshi was the perfect storyteller. Even Fuu was quiet, speaking out in surprise and wonder only at appropriate moments.

Gaara leaned back against his bedroom wall and closed his eyes. He wanted to imagine himself sitting next to Fuu and Naruto, listening to Roshi's story with them at their sides. Of course, as soon as he closed his eyes, his guard came and shook him violently.

The sand reacted instantaneously at the perceived threat. It threw the shinobi far away to the other side of his bedroom in the blink of an eye. The ANBU's scream sent Yashamaru running inside soon afterward.

"Gaara-sama! What happened?" he shouted. "Is everything okay?"

Yashamaru was greeted by the sight of Gaara, shivering and wide-eyed, leaning against the wall. An ANBU operative groaned on the floor, a small pool of blood underneath him. The sand was sprawled between them, inert and innocent. His uncle analyzed the situation, sighed, and ran to the ANBU's side.

"Yashamaru... I'm..." Gaara wanted to apologize but Yashamaru shook his head. Gaara never liked to hurt people but the sand always reacted too quickly for him to control.

Yashamaru hummed in concentration. He bent down to examine and treat the injured ANBU. He was talking calmly to the guard in a low voice.

Gaara couldn't watch. He ran out of his bedroom. No matter what happened, he kept hurting people. He hurt the villagers and because of him, his old ANBU guards and many of Sunagakure's villagers were dead.

Gaara ran into the bathroom. He felt nauseous and like he could throw up at any moment. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw eyes wide open in panic.

His head was pounding with the blood circulating through his body. His heart was thudding violently in his chest. When he looked down at his hands they were shaking. Vaguely, Gaara realized that he didn't remember the last time he took a breath.

He forced himself to take in air. When he exhaled, there were tears on his cheeks. Gaara collapsed next to the toilet onto the cold floor. His stomach felt like it was turning around over and over. A sob escaped his lips.

He heard a voice calling his name. It sounded like someone he should know, but he couldn't place it anymore. _Who is calling me?_

_'Gaara! Gaara! You are having a panic attack. Please, count with me.'_ Gaara really felt like he should recognize the voice.

_Count? _He thought. The voice must have read his mind because it replied quickly.

_'Yes, it will help you, I promise. Four and breathe in, four and breathe out, okay?'_

Gaara didn't know anything anymore, but he felt like he could trust that voice for some reason. His breathing was shallow and he wasn't sure if he could get any air anymore.

_'When I count to four, you inhale, then I'll count to four again and you exhale, all right?'_

_'All right.'_

_'One, two, three, four, breathe in.'_ Gaara forced his lungs to inhale.

_'Good job. I'm proud of you. Now, one, two, three, four, breathe out.' _Gaara exhaled shakily. He still didn't recognize who was talking to him, but at least now he knew that the voice was friendly.

_'Great, one more time, one, two, three, four, breathe in.' _That time, the inhale was easier.

_'Wonderful, you're a very strong boy, Gaara, one, two, three, four, breathe out.' _Gaara exhaled.

The voice made him count and breathe a few more times. By the fifth exhale, he realized that the ground was very cold. By the tenth, he realized that the mysterious voice was Roshi. By the fifteenth, his breathing was finally back under his control. However, tears were still falling down his face.

_'You did it, Gaara. I'm proud of you.'_

_'Thank you,'_ Gaara answered. He was thankful. No one ever told him those kinds of words. Yashamaru was kind, but he was distant and didn't talk to Gaara that often.

Roshi hesitated before talking again._ 'Do you want to talk about it, Gaara?'_

_'I wanna see you. I don't like it here. I hurt people a lot. The sand doesn't do what I want it to do.'_ Gaara didn't hesitate to answer. He wanted to see and touch everyone in the Room. They talked to him all the time but, in the real world, he was always alone.

_'I know you can't join us by sleeping, Gaara,'_ Roshi said. His voice sounded sad. _'But you might be able to gain better control of your power and your bijuu by meditating.'_

_'Meditating? What's that?'_

_'It's a way of making yourself calmer and training your mind. You focus and think. If your mind is strong, you might be able to gain better control over your power.'_

_'Really? It's possible?'_

_'Possible, but I can't guarantee anything, Gaara.'_

_'Okay, Mama, how do I do it?'_ Gaara thought it sounded too good to be true. How could thinking more make his control better? However, Gaara was ready to try anything. He was tired of hurting other people.

_'First, find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. I don't know about you, but lying down next to the toilet is not my first choice.'_ Some of Roshi's humor was present in his voice and Gaara realized he was still on the floor next to the toilet.

He stood up and moved to the living room instead. Yashamaru was not there. Gaara guessed that he was still with the ANBU guard. He climbed onto the sofa and sat cross-legged on top of the cushions.

_'Now what?'_ Gaara asked.

_'Make sure to breathe normally. Focus on your breath as it goes in and out of your body. Don't think about anything else but your breath.'_

Obediently, Gaara followed his instructions. There was only one problem now. As midnight drew nearer, Shukaku's whispers were becoming more insistent.

_'I hear Shukaku,' _he complained to Roshi.

_'That happens,' _Roshi replied. _'But there will always be something that can distract you. Noises from outside, the blowing of the wind, dogs barking... Think only about your breathing when you start getting distracted.'_

Dutifully, Gaara thought about his breathing. He could feel his lungs expanding and his body breathing in and out. He forced himself to ignore Shukaku for the moment.

After a few minutes of breathing, Gaara felt a pull from somewhere inside his stomach. He blinked and when he opened his eyes, Gaara appeared inside the Room in front of three pairs of surprised eyes.

Gaara blinked again. He hadn't expected to be able to join the Room again. Fuu and Naruto looked a little older than he remembered them. The short red-headed man must have been Roshi because he was touching a Door that could only be Gaara's.

Gaara didn't get a chance to look, however, before green and blond hair blocked his vision.

Without hesitation, Fuu and Naruto ran toward him and gave him a huge hug. They were holding him. Even Yashamaru refused to touch him because of the sand. In the Room, however, there was only Gaara and the sand was in another world.

"Gaara-chan! You're here! I can't believe it. I'm so happy," Fuu whispered in his ear. Naruto's cheek was touching Gaara's and at Fuu's words, he nodded in agreement.

Gaara returned their hugs tentatively at first, afraid that they would disappear at his touch. However, when he felt a tear fall down from Fuu's face onto his own, he returned her hug desperately. Naruto also clung more tightly. His tears blended with Gaara's own. Gaara never thought that he would ever see them again

Roshi walked closer and put one hand on his shoulder and another on his head. "I'm very happy that you were able to meditate correctly, Gaara-chan. I suspected you might be able to join us through meditation but I didn't want to get your hopes up," he said.

Gaara struggled to move his head from the tight hold to look up at Roshi's face. The man was smiling down at him and combing through his hair. Gaara smiled back. For once, he felt wanted.

But now that he was in the Room, he worried. Last time, Shukaku had gotten loose. _Will it be the same this time?_

With reluctance, Gaara stepped back from their arms. As much as he wanted to stay with them forever, he didn't want to release his bijuu again.

"Can Shukaku get out when I'm meditating, Mama?" Gaara asked.

"Usually not because your mind and body are awake." Roshi pulled on his beard while thinking. "However, whenever you meditate, there is always a risk of falling asleep. I would not stay here for long. You will gain better control over your mind and body as you grow up. For now, I would not recommend trying to stay here for more than ten minutes without checking back on your body."

Gaara nodded and looked at the other two children.

"Wanna play?" he asked them and extended his hand. Fuu and Naruto smiled and took it. They nodded as they squeezed his hand.

"What do you think of playing tag?" Fuu asked. Gaara nodded in agreement. He didn't know what the game was, but he was ready to try anything.

If he only got ten minutes in the Room, he wasn't going to waste it.

**O-O-O-O-O**

For the past few weeks, Utakata's words had been bouncing around Yagura's head.

_You're supposed to protect the village. If you can't do that, get someone who can!_

For a long time, he had been thinking about how he could improve the situation as the Mizukage. However, he was no longer the best person to take charge. He needed to find someone to take his place.

Yagura thought about the qualities that made a good Mizukage. That person would need to be the strongest ninja in the village. They also needed to have the heart and compassion necessary to protect everyone. The new Mizukage would also need to have an ideology opposite from his if he wanted things to get better.

There were many people that embodied those precious traits in one way or another. Ao the Byakugan Killer was strong but inflexible and traditional to a fault. The members of the seven swordsmen were among the strongest shinobi in the world. However, all of them cared more about titles than people.

Mei Terumi was the only one who met all his criteria. She was still very young, but she had complete control over two kekkei genkai. She was kind to others and had a strong mind and heart.

However, Yagura couldn't abdicate and put her in place. If he did, Mei would be torn down by his supporters. Her own supporters would abandon her if he was the one that gave her the position. There was only one solution. If he wanted the village to accept her, the Fourth Mizukage needed to die.

Yagura had come to terms with death many times before, of course. It was an occupational hazard. During the graduation exams, he had almost been speared through the stomach. He had been saved only with the help of Isobu. On a mission as a chuunin, a Kumo ninja had thrown a kunai through his face. It had torn out his left eye and created the large scar that ran down his cheek. Once, he had forgotten his wife's birthday.

Yagura was more than ready to die at Mei's hands. But he knew Mei. Her heart was still too soft. She had Ao the Byakugan killer on her side and the loyalty of two of the swordsmen. She knew his techniques almost as well as Anzu did. She could have tried to depose him at any time using all her resources but she hadn't.

She wouldn't try to kill him, not until it was too late and Kirigakure had fallen even deeper into ruin. If he wanted to improve the village, however, he had to harden her heart and make sure that her attack was genuine. But to do that, he needed to talk to her first.

Creating a water clone was easy and any Kiri genin could make one before graduation. Creating a clone with enough conscience to act independently was much more difficult. It required a huge amount of chakra to impose his will on another entity. Thankfully, Yagura had chakra to spare.

He formed a Tiger hand seal. His copy stared back at him, face impassive.

_**'Are you sure about this, Karatachi?' **_Isobu asked.

_'As sure as I've ever been. There's not much I can do anymore. Mei is strong. She will be an amazing Mizukage.'_

Yagura's clone made his own hand seals and transformed into mist.

He allowed the clone to escape using a small gap in the window of his bedroom. The cloud of mist departed to find Mei. Yagura had intel on her rumored location and the clone knew the place.

Yagura lied down on his bed. He wouldn't know if his mission succeeded until the clone dispersed. For the moment, all he could do was wait.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Mei Terumi had always been a night owl. She had always preferred the quiet and calm that night brought. She especially liked to use the nighttime for training.

Ao had forbidden her from training alone, but she had never liked listening to him either. If she became Mizukage, he would have to obey whatever she said. The thought of stoic Ao forced to obey her every whim brought a smile to her face.

She stood on the ice that covered the lake and moved to her next kata. As fast as she could, she made the necessary seals for her Lava Monster Jutsu.

As soon as she finished with the bird hand seal, she spat out a wave of lava that melted through the frozen lake. She smiled victoriously.

_I'm getting faster but I still need to keep shaving off seconds from my time_.

Mei prepared to try her technique again. She would only become the Mizukage when she was the strongest in Kirigakure. To her dismay, Yagura was still much more experienced and had better reaction times.

She felt a familiar pain in her chest when she thought of her old teacher.

Yagura had been such a good teacher. He was hot-headed and a little impatient, but he had always taken care of her. He had taught her almost everything about being a ninja and he had mentored her when few others would have. He was the first shinobi to ever praise her for her kekkei genkai.

Which was why, when she heard the news that the Mizukage had declared genocide on holders of bloodline techniques, she couldn't believe it. Where had her sensei gone? Who had taken his place?

She had been sure that an impostor had taken Yagura's position. She had snuck into the Mizukage's office one night, intending to assassinate the person impersonating her teacher.

However, instead of a fake, she had sensed the unmistakable chakra signature of Yagura Karatachi. Not only of her sensei, but of his bijuu. Confronted with the truth, she had run away with Zabuza Momochi and Ao the Byakugan Killer a few hours later.

Her supporters and fellow rebels came later. Soon enough, the Land of Water was divided in two by yet another civil war. On one side were the supporters of the kekkei genkai genocide while on the other stood Mei and her allies. The war had continued for over three years. In those three years, hundreds if not thousands had died, most of them civilians.

Thinking about Yagura brought an old and familiar ache to her heart. She tried to ignore that feeling, but it was impossible. Yagura was and would always be a precious person in her eyes, no matter what he did as Mizukage.

Under her feet, the ice had melted completely and she used chakra to stand on the water. She stared down at her reflection on the lake, illuminated by the full moon. Thinking about Yagura brought his face to mind. She could almost imagine him standing next to her.

She stared at her reflection some more and frowned. Her mind must have been more tired than normal because the face of Yagura turned to stare at her. _That's unusual._

She squinted at the reflection some more. The Yagura in the reflection raised his eyebrows and stared back. She sighed. It was time to finish training before she started to hallucinate more.

"Have your abilities gotten so weak you can't even sense me anymore?" a familiar voice asked.

Mei immediately flinched and leaped away from that voice. Once in a defensive position, she turned back to stare at the one who spoke.

"Yagura-sensei! What are you doing here?" She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood but the person standing in front of her didn't disappear. She pulsed her chakra, but the other person didn't disappear either._ It's not a genjutsu then._

"Nothing, nothing," Yagura said while ignoring her panic. "I just wanted to talk to my favorite student. You're leading a rebel group to depose me from power. I think a discussion is more than warranted."

"How do I know you're really Yagura-sensei?" Mei narrowed her eyes and glared at the man who simply couldn't be the real Yagura.

The man... no, the impostor, sighed and gave her a tired glare. He let his body fall on the water and he used chakra to lounge back lazily on the surface of the lake.

"Really? Are we doing this now?" The fake rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and stared at her. Mei nodded. The impostor sighed again.

"Fine, I'll tell you things only the real Yagura would know." At this, he sat up to look at her in the eyes. "When you were in the Academy, you were the one who put thumbtacks on Kaito-sensei's chair. You were never found out. You can't eat sashimi anymore because the last time you did, you got food poisoning and you couldn't leave the toilet for three days. When you were fourteen, you picked a bouquet of flowers for a boy you liked and gave them to him. However, you didn't know he was allergic to the pollen and he almost died. Once, on a mission as a genin, you-"

"Okay, okay! I believe you! Just stop!" Mei yelled angrily at the man, her face burning. She only knew one person that knew all those stories but her mind still refused to accept the truth.

She flared her chakra and concentrated as she tried to get a sense for the man. She startled in surprise. Sure enough, the signature could only belong to Yagura Karatachi. The chakra quantity was lower, however, telling her that the person standing in front of her was only a clone.

"So you sent a clone to find me, huh?" she asked with an angry smile as she readied her body for a fight. "That's very smart of you sensei. But if you hoped to get rid of me, a clone is not nearly enough."

Instead of being intimidated, the clone of her teacher yawned in apparent boredom.

"I didn't come here to fight," he said. "Just to talk."

"What is there to talk about?" she yelled. "We could have talked three years ago, but you made an execution order for anyone with a kekkei genkai. The time for discussion has passed!"

"See, Mei-chan, that's the thing." Mei tensed at the use of her old nickname. "That execution order... was not mine."

Yagura looked at her with a sad look in his eyes and began to explain. "You see... three years ago I went to meet with a potential informant from another nation. I met a masked man. I don't remember what happened after that. He, or someone working for him, put my mind under a genjutsu. I only woke up three months ago and have been trying to stop his plans ever since."

"What? How is that possible?! You're the strongest shinobi in the Land of Water! How could you have been brainwashed so easily?" she yelled at her old teacher.

Mei was furious and she wasn't sure at whom. At herself for thinking her sensei could have truly made a declaration of genocide? At Yagura for falling to the genjutsu so easily and for so long? At his advisors for not noticing and only enabling him? At the villagers for going along with the plans and gleefully executing anyone with a kekkei genkai?

At her outburst, the clone stood up on the water and walked to stand in front of her. He looked up at her and Mei was reminded of when she was only a child and she had been the one to look up to _him_. He looked sad and contemplative. He placed a hand on her wrist, making her flinch at the touch.

"In this civil war," he said while he looked into her eyes. "You could have killed me at any time you wanted. I know you could have, even if it would have been a long and difficult fight. You have most of the swordsmen with you and the legendary Ao."

Mei nodded. She had tried to harden her heart and attack Yagura in a direct fight. Zabuza and Ao had urged her to take action. The swordsman, in particular, was only a few months away from trying to assassinate Yagura himself. She was the only one that has even a small chance of defeating him in a one on one fight. But she couldn't. Not Yagura.

"I couldn't attack you, sensei," she admitted as she relaxed from her fighting position. "No matter what Ao and Zabuza told me, I just couldn't do it."

Yagura looked at her in understanding and his eyes softened. He smiled gently. With a pang in her chest, she remembered the first time she learned how to use the Water Bullet Jutsu.

_Wow, Mei-chan. That's impressive. And only five days? If you keep at it, you might even make Mizukage one day._

She had smiled in happiness at his compliment and puffed up her chest. So many years had passed since then but she still remembered his praise at her newest jutsu. Remembering brought tears to her eyes but she forced herself to keep them in.

"What do you want me to do, sensei?" she asked as she bit her lip.

At her question, the clone mulled over how to respond. She clenched her fists.

"You have to kill me, Mei-chan," Yagura said nonchalantly. "And declare yourself the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure. Only you can do it."

Mei flinched. She studied her older teacher, sure that she had misheard, but Yagura's face only looked at her seriously.

"The Fourth Mizukage can't live when you reign. When the time comes, you are the only one I trust to make a difficult decision," Yagura said.

"No! Sensei! You can't! Please, don't make me!" Mei was not sure if she wanted to cry or beg. Possibly both. "If I haven't been able to even fight you for the past three years, what makes you think that I will be able to deal a killing blow?"

"I know it's hard for you, Mei," he said, "but that's the only way that everyone in the village will trust in your power. If I live, your office won't be secure. You know this. The Land of Water is suffering. You are the only one I trust to make it better. You have the kekkei genkai and the power to end the civil wars. And Ao can watch and make sure you don't come under the effect of a genjutsu like I did."

"I can't, Yagura-sensei, please, don't ask me to do something impossible." She didn't try to fight the tears anymore. In the back of her mind, she realized that her cheeks were wet.

"You will be forced to do this sooner or later, Mei," Yagura replied. "Do it now and fewer people will have to suffer. You have the power and ability to make the Land of Water great in a way that it never has before. I beg of you, this is a plea from a friend."

At his words, Mei bit the inside of her cheek so hard that she tasted blood again. She hated how much sense Yagura's plan made. Reluctantly, she nodded her head in agreement.

At her nod, Yagura smiled sadly and let go of her wrist.

"Thank you, Mei," he said, "for making this difficult decision."

Before she could think about it, Mei bent down and hugged Yagura tightly.

"I'm sorry, sensei," she murmured.

Under her, the clone tensed at the sudden contact before relaxing and returning her hug.

"Once you become the Mizukage, I have one favor to ask of you," he whispered in her ear.

"Anything for you, sensei," she whispered back.

"Take care of Anzu and my kids. Keep them safe once they return to Kirigakure. They are the only family I have left."

Mei smiled for the first time since she saw Yagura. She remembered Anzu. She had been the only shinobi to go toe to toe with Yagura. _No wonder he fell in love with her._

"Of course, Yagura-sensei," she said. On her shoulder, she felt Yagura smile.

"Thank you, Mei. Please, when the time comes, make it quick. I don't want to spend hours bleeding out. See you soon, Mei-chan."

"See you soon, sensei," she whispered in his ear.

At her words, the clone dispersed and she was thrown off balance as the water faded into the lake. She looked at her reflection again, hoping for one more glimpse of Yagura. She only saw herself, eyes wide and afraid.

She stared at her reflection some more. When the face of her sensei refused to appear, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to look away.

If she wanted to make the fight look real and fulfill her sensei's last wish, she needed to train more.

She took in the view of the lake and moved her hands into a bird hand sign. If she wanted to defeat Yagura, she needed to be stronger. She ignored the tears on her face as she forced the lava to form.

**O-O-O-O-O**

_She was crying for me._

As Yagura rested in bed, he received all of the knowledge and memories from his dispersed clone at once. Everything was going according to plan but he still frowned.

Mei had always been too kind for her own good but that was also the reason why she would make a great replacement for him. She had to do what was necessary for the good of the village.

Yagura sighed before sitting up to stare at the wall. He knew what he had to do. Dying was not going to be fun. He had asked for a fast death but nothing was ever guaranteed in war. He just needed enough time to prepare.

Yagura moved toward the small desk in his bedroom. Most of his work was done in the office, but he often had to send or read letters from the confines of his quarters, too.

Carefully, he took out two scrolls, an ink well, and a brush. He began to compose his letters. When he finished, he scrawled a bloodline seal on the outside of the scroll. No one without the appropriate chakra signature would be able to open them.

On the outside, he wrote "Kasumi" and "Asahi." If Mei kept her promise, one day his children would know his last words. He stared at the scrolls in his hands before placing them inside the top drawer of his desk.

He took a new scroll and wrote a message for Mei. That time, he didn't bother with a bloodline seal. She would read it when she started living in the Mizukage's quarters.

Imagining her reaction when she got around to reading his final letter made him chuckle. _She'll be furious once she reads what I wrote._

From his seat at the desk, he looked out towards Kirigakure. The sun was already beginning to rise. With a sigh, he made it back to bed. He might be able to get an hour or two of sleep before he was forced back into the mockery that was his life.

He closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was alone inside the Room. All the other jinchuuriki were asleep. He walked towards Utakata's Door and placed his hand on it.

_'Utakata-kun?'_ The boy didn't reply. He was most likely asleep or possibly ignoring him. In any case, Utakata was unlikely to listen anyway. However, Yagura felt like he should thank him before Mei became the Fifth Mizuk_age._

_'Thank you for the inspiration,' _he said. _'Kirigakure will be a great village soon.'_

Yagura forced his mind to leave the Room and enter deep sleep. He would need as much rest as he could get to make sure everything went according to plan.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: We don't know that much about Kirigakure until we get to Shippuden. Even then, there is a lot of unknown and contradictory information. I tried not to break away from canon, but almost everything about Kiri comes from my imagination. Though this is an AU fic, so does it really matter that much?**

**If you want to talk to me, I'm active on Tumblr. My username is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Yugito goes to Iwagakure and Fuu talks to the village head.**


	7. A Fight for Power

**In which Naruto and Gaara play, Yugito goes to Iwagakure, and everyone fights to kill Yagura.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

_Gaara is really fun to play with._

Fuu was great and Naruto liked spending time with her a lot, too. She was his only friend when the children at the orphanage wanted nothing to do with him. However, she was very bossy and always treated him like a little baby.

Meanwhile, Gaara was almost the same age and only an inch taller. He didn't talk a lot, but whenever he did, Naruto made sure to listen attentively. Gaara told him about Sunagakure and the Land of Wind. Naruto's only knowledge of sand came from the sandbox in the playground. Nevertheless, he tried his hardest to imagine a country surrounded by it.

Their favorite game was tag. Fuu had taught Naruto the game, but since she was older, she always won. Sometimes she let Naruto win, but he didn't like the easy victory. Gaara, meanwhile, was a worthy opponent.

Naruto sprinted to the other side of the Room. Roshi had agreed to be the base where they were safe from being tagged. The man was talking to Fuu as she demonstrated a new balancing technique she had learned from Yugito.

Naruto laughed as Gaara chased after him, out of breath. Even though he was a little older, Gaara didn't run as much as Naruto did and had less stamina. However, while Gaara tired quickly, he was the faster runner. In the end, they were evenly matched opponents.

Naruto stopped in front of Killer B's Door and turned around to watch Gaara run closer while he caught his breath. When Gaara was only a few feet away, the other boy stopped as well. The two looked at each other in the eye, trying to analyze each other. _Should I run to the left or to the right?_

Gaara stared back at him. He opened his eyes in surprise.

"Wait, Naruto-chan, who is that?" he said as he pointed at something over Naruto's shoulder.

Distracted, Naruto looked away. _Is B-sama here now?_

Gaara took his chance. He leaped towards Naruto, slapping him lightly on the arm with the palm of his hand. He then ran away, giggling.

Naruto's jaw dropped as Gaara ran away towards Roshi, who was now clapping at Fuu's demonstration. Naruto chased after him but he was too late. Gaara had reached safe grounds. He threw himself on top of Roshi's lap, struggling to breathe through his laughter.

The man smiled at the two children playing. He began patting Gaara on the head as the boy struggled to get his breathing back under control. Naruto pouted and pointed an angry finger at him.

"No fair! You tricked me!" he yelled at the older boy.

"All's fair in love and war, Naruto-chan," Roshi said wisely with a nod. "You two are going to be shinobi. You need to see deception."

Gaara couldn't answer back. He was laughing too hard but he gave Naruto a bright smile. Compared to the fear and hesitation from before, his smile felt like a ray of sunshine. Naruto couldn't help but grin back. He knew that Gaara had a difficult life and seeing him happy made him forget the frustration of losing.

"Never again!" he yelled in fake anger as jumped on top of Gaara and hugged him.

The other boy returned the embrace desperately, still laughing. Roshi held them both in his lap and sighed. Fuu giggled at the sight of the two boys together, distracted from her demonstration.

Roshi let them sit on his lap for a few seconds before he stood up without warning. The two boys screamed as they fell to the floor, surprised. Their laughter ended and they glared at the man standing over them.

"Mama! No fair!" Naruto whined.

"Sorry, Naruto-chan, Gaara-chan." He didn't sound sorry and his eyes looked unrepentant. "But I think it's about time for Gaara to check back. It's dangerous for him to fall asleep while meditating, remember?"

Next to him, Gaara flinched, the previous joy and laughter evaporating in an instant. He looked down at the floor and his hands grasped the hem of his loose shirt. Roshi's eyes softened at the sight. He squatted down to look at Gaara in the eye.

"It's okay, Gaara-chan," he said. "How about I tell you a story once you get back? I don't think I've told you about how I stole classified intel from Konoha using only my intellect and good looks, have I?"

Gaara shook his head. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. He looked at Fuu and Naruto as if trying to memorize their faces before leaving.

"That's right, Gaara-chan!" Fuu said as she joined Roshi's side. "We will be here, too! I haven't heard the story either and we can all listen together. Is that all right?"

Gaara nodded. He still looked sad.

Naruto gave him another hug. "See you tomorrow, Gaara-chan!" he said.

At his words, Gaara nodded, smiled weakly and hugged him back. Naruto tightened the hug but the other boy didn't complain. Fuu leaned over and wrapped her arms around both boys. She pressed small kisses on the crowns of their heads.

"Stay safe and come back, Gaara," she said. "We're here for you, okay?"

Gaara nodded again. He broke their group hug. He walked back to the golden Door that served as a gateway between the physical world and the Room. He gulped and looked back at them one last time before disappearing.

Naruto ran to put his hand on Gaara's Door. He flinched when he touched it, but didn't pull back. _'Are you okay, Gaara-chan?'_

_'I'm okay,' _Gaara responded._ 'But I wanted to stay longer with you.'_

_'It's okay,'_ Naruto said, _'we are gonna see each other tomorrow, right?'_

_'Right!'_ Gaara already sounded a little more cheerful.

From behind him, Roshi and Fuu walked to stand next to Naruto and put their hands on Gaara's Door.

_'See you tomorrow, Gaara-chan,' _Fuu said, voice cheerful.

_'Yes, see you soon, boy,'_ Roshi said._ 'Now are you ready to listen to my story? Get comfortable because it's a long one.'_

Roshi sat down to lean on the Door and pulled Naruto onto his lap. Fuu knelt on the floor and laid her head on Roshi's shoulder. While he wasn't inside the Room, Naruto could tell that Gaara was listening. Together, the three children settled down to listen to the newest story.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yugito used chakra to walk on top of the ice and snow that covered the road to Iwagakure, perfectly balanced. Next to her, Mabui and Samui kept pace with her as they tried to catch their first glimpse of the village. Tsuyui-sensei walked behind the kunoichi, keeping watch and leading the other genin teams.

Yugito paused in her walk and looked back at her group with a raised eyebrow. _Are these kids even ready to participate in the exams?_

Unlike her teammates, most of the others were struggling to keep up with the pace that Yugito had set. They struggled walking through the snow and often slipped and fell. Throughout their journey, they had been fretting and worrying about the chuunin exams.

Most of the other teams were made up of recent graduates with less than thirty missions under their belts. They were younger than her by at least a few years. Yugito's team was the second-oldest team, beat out only by one led by a braggart named Musai.

Among the nervous genin, however, the exemplary ones stood out. A blond boy who looked to be a few years younger walked nonchalantly next to a bored dark-skinned boy. From their conversations, she had learned that the blond boy was named C while the other boy was Darui. They seemed unbothered by the chuunin exams. Yugito suspected they were either complete idiots or rightfully confident in their abilities. In any case, there was nothing to lose by keeping an eye on them.

As soon as they caught their first glimpse of Iwagakure, the nervous muttering intensified around her. Next to her, Samui and Mabui straightened their backs and looked ahead. They couldn't show weakness in front of another village.

Their group stopped once they reach the closed gate, but no one was there to meet them. The genin and jounin fell silent as they waited for someone to let them in. When no one appeared, Tsuyoi-sensei stepped forward and spoke to the large stone gate.

"Greetings," he said to no one. "We come from Kumogakure for the chuunin exams. We ask to be allowed safe passage into Iwagakure."

At his words, a tall broad man jumped in front of the genin.

"Passports and invitations," the man grumbled with a frown.

"Of course," Tsuyoi replied, polite as always. "May we enquire about your name?"

"My name is Kitsuchi," the large man answered. "I will be the primary point of contact during the exams. But first, I will have everyone enter team by team. Get your documents ready for inspection at once."

Tsuyoi nodded and signaled at all the Kumogakure ninja. Obediently, Yugito pulled out her passport and invitation letter from her weapons pouch. Samui and Mabui copied her lead. They handed their documents over to Tsuyui-sensei in a neat stack. Around them, the other teams readied their documents as well.

Tsuyoi beckoned them closer. Her team stood in front of the tall Iwagakure ninja. Their teacher handed over the four passports for inspection.

The man, Kitsuchi, opened each one, glaring at each one of them in turn. After a few seconds, he nodded in satisfaction and grunted. The stone gate opened slowly behind the man. Without a word, her team passed through the gates and entered Iwagakure.

She had to blink twice when she saw Han.

He stood tall in the middle of the street, one hand hidden inside his armor. He inspected Yugito, her sensei, and her teammates with a raised eyebrow. Her teammates looked at the man but said nothing. They turned around to look back at their traveling companions.

Yugito, however, couldn't tear her eyes away from Han.

In the setting sun, Han's shadow projected an intimidating silhouette for the arriving genin. Combined with Kitsuchi at the gate, Yugito assumed Iwagakure wished to intimidate them before the exams even began. _Not a bad idea._

While she didn't talk to Han often in the Room, she liked him. He had been patient and understanding whenever they had interacted. He was also the only one who had managed to lay a finger on the Mizukage. That automatically made him a great shinobi in her eyes. He glanced at her. While she couldn't see his face, from the look he gave her, she could tell that he was forced herself not to run at Han and instead looked at the other Kumo teams as they entered one by one.

As soon as they saw the tall man, they all began to shuffle nervously and look away. Yugito forced herself not to roll her eyes. She had seen Han at the edge of tears trying to explain to a stubborn toddler that his shoes were on backwards. After that, she was not sure if the other jinchuuriki could ever scare her.

Once all the Kumo genin had passed through the gates, Kitsuchi leaped to stand next to Han. Together, the Kumogakure shinobi turned around to listen to their words.

"Okay, genin, listen up!" Kitsuchi bellowed. "I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention."

Most of the genin stepped back in fear. Yugito rolled her eyes. _Babies._

She turned her gaze back to the Iwagakure shinobi. Han began to speak.

"You will be sleeping in the largest inn of Iwagakure apart from your teachers. Before we begin the exams, we will need to fill out paperwork. Mostly consent forms. If you already know that you don't want to participate in the exams or you have changed your mind, you are free to walk away now."

At that, Han moved his gaze through all the gathered genin. Some of her fellow ninja tensed up or gulped but no one took the offer. Yugito wasn't expecting anyone to back out. A was too proud to send weak ninja to take the chuunin exams, especially in a foreign country.

Han gave them all one last look and nodded.

"Good," he said. "You won't have any chance to back out in the future."

He took a deep breath and continued talking. "My name is Han and I have been working with Kitsuchi-san in preparation for the exams. I am the proctor for the first exam, which I will explain soon."

"For now, however, we will complete the necessary paperwork. Jounin-sensei," he stared at their teachers, "follow Kitsuchi-san. He will take you to your hotel."

He glanced at each of the younger shinobi in turn. "Genin, follow me. We will complete some paperwork and leave you at the inn once we finish."

"See you soon, sensei," Yugito said. She turned to follow Han, who had started walking to the outside of the village. She gave her teacher a small bow. Samui and Mabui followed suit and said goodbye.

As they walked, the other Kumogakure genin stared at Han in fear. Most of them looked around the village in nervous tension. Even her fellow kunoichi weren't immune. While they appeared calm next to her, Mabui was frowning while Samui was nervously chewing on her lip.

Yugito, meanwhile, took the opportunity to look around the village. The tall buildings rose high above her, grand and spectacular. A deep blanket of snow covered the roofs. Because of the cold, she saw few villagers and fewer shinobi. The ones that she did see gave her looks that varied between curiosity and mild disdain.

The looks they gave Han were not as friendly, however. Every time they saw the man at the front of their group, they glared at him. Some whispered and threw him dirty looks while others ran away in fear. Han appeared not to notice their reactions. However, Yugito knew him well enough to know that he would never miss such obvious killing intent.

_It's because he's a jinchuuriki. If these people knew I was a jinchuuriki, they would look at me with hate in their eyes, too. How can they hate someone who has done so much for their village?_

She started to glare back at everyone they passed. She could understand the pain of being looked at with hatred and fear by her own countrymen. Although jinchuuriki were favored in Kumogakure, they were not always well-treated. There were still many who believed she and B were monsters. To be hated for existing was more painful than she could describe.

Walking a short distance behind Han, the man sensed her indignation at his expense. He seemed amused by her glaring, although he also seemed thankful to her. She went closer to walk by Han side to side. The corners of his eyes crinkled in happiness and Yugito smiled back.

_Don't worry about them, Yugito, his eyes seemed to say. I'm used to it._

Yugito sighed and fell back to walk next to Samui and Mabui. She couldn't be seen talking with Han. She didn't want to get sent to Torture and Interrogation back in Kumogakure.

They walked silently, following Han's large steps. After a few minutes of walking, their group arrived at a large, tall building.

"I will leave you here," Han told the group. "You will complete your registration inside. I will see you at the start of the first exam. Good luck."

Han disappeared in a cloud of smoke, but not before giving Yugito a small wink that was missed by everyone else. Yugito smiled to herself and moved to enter the large building.

_This is going to be fun._

**O-O-O-O-O**

It took a month for Yagura to get an opportunity to see Mei again. As he waited, he gritted his teeth and did everything that his counselors asked him to do. He was almost ready to die by his own hand but he needed Mei to take the finishing blow. In a country obsessed with power, they would only listen to the strongest among them.

"Mizukage-sama! We have received confirmation that Mei Terumi and her army is nearing Kirigakure! They seem to be coming after you!" One of his advisors broke into his office and shouted at him in panic. Yagura almost jumped up in joy.

_Finally. Time to die. _He needed to remain calm, however.

"Mei Terumi?" Yagura sighed. He put down his pen and stared out of the window.

"Yes, sir."

"Who is with her?" he asked in a casual tone. His advisor stared at him for a few seconds, perplexed about his calm demeanor. Nevertheless, he answered the question dutifully.

"Zabuza Momochi, Ao the Byakugan Killer, and Ameyuri Ringo are her main assets," he answered. "However, we estimate at least two hundred more shinobi on her side, most of them holders of kekkei genkai."

Yagura sighed again and stretched his arms over his head. Calm, he took off the Mizukage robes, picked up his staff, and slung it over his back. He jumped to the windowsill and looked out, saying nothing to the advisor.

Despite the mist, he could see clear signs of battle. Sparks from weapons and jutsu were spread throughout the village. He tried to look for hints of Mei's lava release, but he couldn't see her calling card. He would have to look for her himself. _How annoying._

"Well, I gotta take care of that."

Yagura said goodbye to his advisor with a lazy wave. He leaped through the window to land at the nearest fighting site.

He stumbled upon a fight between two men. Both of them were wearing Kirigakure hitai-ate. He couldn't tell who was loyal to him and who was loyal to Mei. They paused in their fight and looked at him, one in fear and one in excitement. _Well, now I know._

His supporter turned back to his enemy with a satisfied grin, happy that Yagura had come to save him.

"Where is Mei Terumi?" Yagura asked them.

"Mei Terumi will kill you!" the enemy shinobi said.

_I'm not getting any help here. _Yagura forced himself not to roll his eyes. He jumped over the two shinobi and left them to their fighting. He needed to find Mei, not worry about inconsequential fights.

He ran and leaped randomly through the village. He made sure that he was seen by as many combatants as possible. If he wanted to meet with Mei, his location needed to be known by everyone.

He was so focused on searching for Mei that he almost died before they could find each other.

Mid-leap, a lighting-charged sword stabbed him through the shoulder. He fell to the ground and managed to narrowly dodge the next strike. He put pressure on his shoulder and his hand came away covered in blood. He winced at the pain but recovered in an instant. He took his weapon in his hands, transformed into the initial jinchuuriki form, and got into a defensive stance.

_'Isobu!'_ he screamed at his bijuu.

_**'I know, Karatachi. I'm trying. Don't die while I help you heal.'**_

"You are faster than I expected, Mizukage-sama."

Yagura looked at the small woman standing in front of him. Ameyuri Ringo smirked at him. Yagura winced. Ameyuri was small and fast. She wasn't physically strong, but her agility made up for it. With Yagura already weakened, she was a threatening opponent.

"Yeah, well, not fast enough, it seems," Yagura replied. He felt the hole in his shoulder closing, but blood was still pouring out of him. He didn't want to fight Ameyuri. She was infamous for being vicious and playing with her targets. Nevertheless, he readied himself for a fight.

"Don't be so hasty, Ameyuri-chan," a deep voice called out from behind Yagura.

He turned around to inspect the new arrival. Zabuza Momochi glared at him. His sword was pointed threateningly down at Yagura's throat. While not as strong as Ameyuri, Zabuza was still a formidable threat. If they were to work together, they might actually manage to defeat him. Yagura groaned. _More enemies. I just want to fight Mei, damn it._

"Get the hell out of here Zabuza! Yagura is mine! I will become Mizukage when I kill him!" Ameyuri yelled at her fellow rebel.

"Get off your high horse, bitch. You don't deserve to be Mizukage. Just cause you're fast and can channel lighting through your swords doesn't make you special!"

"Like you're any better, motherfucker!" Ameyuri replied. "You're not anywhere near enough to be the strongest ninja in the village. Yagura is _my _prey and I'm not going to let you steal him away from me!"

"He's my opponent! I will fight and kill him faster than you can blink!"

"As if! You're not fast enough to do anything more than fall flat on your face! I don't know how you got that little minion following your every move when you're not even worthy to lick my boots!"

_They're like children fighting over a toy._

Yagura glanced back and forth between the two swordsmen but said nothing. He took the time that they were arguing to heal. The only one allowed to kill him was Mei.

When his shoulder felt sufficiently healed, he cleared his throat. Both Ameyuri and Zabuza stopped their bickering to focus their hate back on him.

"Well, if this lover's quarrel isn't going to end anytime soon... I would like to leave and go look for someone who could pose a _real _threat," Yagura said with a wicked grin.

"He's mocking us, Zabuza," Ameyuri scowled.

"No shit," Zabuza answered.

"Maybe you can play rock, paper, scissors to decide who gets the honor," Yagura suggested, keeping the smile on his face.

The two swordsmen frowned and sunk their stances deeper into defensive positions. Yagura prepared for their attack and the three fell into a tense silence. He waited to see who would attack first.

Zabuza was the first one to run in his direction, _Kubikiribocho _grasped tightly in his hand. Yagura dodged easily but Ameyuri took the opportunity to attack. She charged lightning chakra into _Kiba _and lunged to run her swords through Yagura's heart.

Yagura prepared himself to take Version Two form. He didn't want to kill Ameyuri when she would have been a strong part of Mei's new regime, but she had attacked first.

As soon as he was ready to strike back, however, high-heeled sandals diverted her twin swords and smashed them into the ground. The lighting crashed violently with an explosion of dust. Yagura had to use his forearm to shield himself from the blast.

When the dust cleared, Ameyuri was staring slack-jawed at Mei, who was holding the twin swords down with the heel of her foot. Yagura blinked up at his former student. Mei had jumped in right before he was ready to kill Ameyuri. He wondered if she had timed her defense on purpose

"You're both wrong," Mei said, voice calm and deadly. She turned her glare towards Yagura. "The only one allowed to kill Yagura is me."

He shuddered involuntarily. He had forgotten how scary his student could sound when given the right motivation. Ameyuri and Zabuza must have noticed her tone too because they looked in wonder at Mei. They relaxed their grip on the hilts of their swords.

"But Mei, he..."

"Mei-chan, I think..."

"He's mine!" Mei yelled with a scowl as she relaxed her foothold on _Kiba_. "I'm the one who will become the Fifth Mizukage and the one who will defeat him once and for all."

Her declaration was full of power and both Zabuza and Ameyuri tensed. Yagura smiled to himself. _I truly did make the right choice._

He tested his shoulder. Isobu had almost finished healing the wound and the pain was more than manageable. He jumped away from the rebel group and used chakra to stick to the wall of the nearest building.

"You _really _think that you can kill me, Mei-chan?" Yagura asked with a smirk.

"I know I can," was Mei's calm reply. Yagura marveled at her acting abilities.

They stared at one another, waiting to see who would make the first move. Yagura remembered their conversation at the lake and felt a stab of guilt at forcing Mei to do the dirty deed. He needed to make their fight look convincing.

He used chakra to jump to the top of the building. He ran away. If he had to transform into Isobu's full form, he would need to be in an open area, not in the middle of the village. The interconnected lakes surrounding Kirigakure would provide enough space for their fight.

"Hey! Don't run away! We're not finished!" Mei yelled in surprise and anger at his retreating back as he leaped away.

Yagura smirked. He sensed Mei chasing a short distance behind him while Ameyuri and Zabuza were left behind. He sighed in relief. They wouldn't interrupt anything and ruin his plans.

He reached the lake on the outskirts of Kirigakure a few seconds later. He used chakra to stand in the middle of the water and waited for Mei to join him. It didn't take long for him to see her distinctive long auburn hair.

"What was that about? I thought you wanted to fight?!" Mei yelled while pointing an accusing finger in his direction.

"I do," Yagura replied.

He attacked immediately, swinging his staff over his head and bringing it down on top of Mei. She dodged out of the way but Yagura was ready for that. He used the staff as a lever and kicked her in the stomach. She huffed as the air was knocked out of her lungs. She went flying to land many feet away on the surface of the water. She stood up and glared.

_What the hell? I thought you wanted to die_? the expression on her face seemed to say.

_Did you think it would be that simple?_ he wanted to reply.

She had probably expected Yagura to take it easy on her after his plea, but he had never been one to hold back. Even as a little girl, he had never gone easy on her.

Mei huffed in exasperation, no doubt able to read his mind.

Her body language changed. She stood up proudly on the surface of the water and stared at him. She needed to take the fight seriously as a battle to the death. Yagura smiled back and prepared for her attack.

She ran through a set of unfamiliar seals and spat out a cloud of mist. Yagura waited, expecting the Hidden Mist Jutsu. However, instead of obscuring his sight and hearing with haze, the vapor burned his skin with corrosive acid.

_Mei has a new technique_, it seems. He relinquished control over the chakra on his feet and dove underwater.

Making his own set of seals, Yagura created a dragon made from water. It flew out of the lake and attacked. Mei screamed in surprise and she dodged by flipping back. While she was distracted, Yagura swam back up to the surface.

"Wind Release: Supreme Typhoon!" he yelled. He created a large gust of wind that blew away Mei's acidic mist. Yagura took some time to admire Mei's new jutsu. In closed quarters, it would be a very formidable attack.

"Not bad, Yagura-sensei," Mei said with a smirk. "Not many have enough power to blow away my boil release."

"You know that I'm exceptional, Mei-chan," Yagura said with a smile that immediately turned into a frown.

It was time to get serious. Mei must have felt the same way because her smile faded and she looked at Yagura with eyes full of resignation. They began their duel.

In the end, Yagura and Mei fought until sunset.

For every attack Mei sent out, Yagura had a counter for it. A few of her techniques were new. However, with Yagura's battle experience and reflexes, she was unable to do any lasting damage. It was the same for her. She avoided his attacks with unprecedented skill and agility.

Sometime during the day, the other shinobi, both on his side and on Mei's, had begun to appear. They had tried interrupting their fight many times. However, both of them had scolded anyone that had gotten closer than the banks of the lake. They now surrounded them, watching them fight one another desperately to death.

The new moon rose, leaving their world in almost total darkness. _Perfect. My plan will work better here._

Yagura paused his attack. He panted in exhaustion as he tried to get his breath back. He saw Mei on the opposite side of the lake as she tried to catch her breath, too. Mei was formidable. In a few years, she would be one of the strongest fighters Kirigakure had ever seen. He stared at her silhouette and he sensed her staring back.

"I think we're almost finished, don't you agree?" he asked between pants.

"Of course, Yagura-sensei. I think it's time to finish this fight for good," she replied. Her voice sounded exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Not for the first time, Yagura felt guilty for making her do such a difficult task.

_This can't wait anymore. It's time to finish this._

Yagura sent chakra to the soles of his feet and launched himself from the surface of the water up into the air. He swung his staff in front of himself and prepared to hit Mei.

Before he could, however, Mei's lava release swept overhead. His concentration gone, Yagura was surrounded by her lava from all sides. He jumped down into the water but that wasn't enough to quench Mei's attack. He yelled out in pain although Isobu helped reduce the damage his body was taking. With his left hand burning, he dropped his staff where it promptly sank to the bottom of the lake.

While he recovered, Mei took her chance to attack. She pulled him out of the water and the cooling effect vanished. She kicked him on the chin and he landed several feet away while still partially covered in her lava. Despite the setback, Yagura smiled to himself.

_'Isobu! It's time!'_

_**'Got it, Karatachi!'**_

Yagura called upon Isobu's chakra. The bijuu's complete body appeared on the surface of the water. Mei jumped back and ran her hands through a series of complex hand signs. Before either Yagura or Isobu could react, she covered the bijuu in a blanket of new lava. The shinobi that had been tensely watching their fight stepped back in awe.

Even with Isobu's tough outer shell, the lava burned and both Yagura and the bijuu screamed out in pain. The bijuu form disappeared at once. Only Yagura's screams could be heard as the lava smothered the Mizukage.

When Yagura stopped screaming, only Mei was left standing on the surface of the lake. She was panting heavily and on the verge of total chakra exhaustion. Her hair, normally kept out of the way in a small bun, was singed while her clothes were scuffed and torn from the battle.

Despite her exhaustion, she straightened her back and stood on the surface of the water. She raised one fist in victory. She looked out at all of the shinobi that were still watching and waiting at the banks of the lake.

Mei grinned victoriously at them, even though most wouldn't be able to see in the dark night. She heard both cheers and cries of anguish from her audience. She knew that the battle for Kirigakure had only just begun.

**O-O-O-O-O**

When Yagura finally washed up on the empty shore, his first breath of air felt like heaven.

He coughed as much water out of his lungs as possible and forced his body to crawl onto the coarse sand. He collapsed immediately, coughing and panting in pain.

With Isobu's help, he had managed to swim from the bottom of the lake, through the river, and into the ocean, coming up only once for air. He was very thankful that his bijuu was a turtle, at least.

He flipped himself over and looked up at the night sky. With his body not in fighting mode, all the aches from the battle were catching up to him. He wanted to scream at the pain. However, he couldn't afford even the minuscule chance that someone would hear. He bit his tongue instead.

_**'Karatachi, what am I going to do with you? You almost died back there, even with the coral protecting you.'**_

Yagura wanted to reply, but his mind was too exhausted to think of a response. He had barely managed to escape by using coral to protect himself. Nevertheless, Mei's corrosive lava technique had managed to burn the left side of his body. He couldn't feel his left hand and he hoped he hadn't lost it.

A stab of pain coursed through his body and he had to bite down hard on his tongue so as to not scream out in pain. He tasted blood but he had no energy to spit it out. He swallowed and stared up at the sky.

His bijuu sighed. _**'I'll work on healing you up but some of the damage is permanent. I'm running low on chakra myself, so don't move and try not to cry.'**_

Yagura wanted to nod, but after collapsing, the only thing he could do was breathe. Isobu's chakra was working on healing and the pain was already lessening. When dealing with lava, however, he knew that there would be permanent damage.

Yagura thought of Anzu and hoped that she wouldn't mind the new scars. She had been fine with the scar on his face, but he couldn't help but worry that she wouldn't like him anymore.

Remembering her brought an old and familiar pain into his chest that only added to his misery. He wished Anzu were here with Asahi and Kasumi.

The last time he had seen Asahi, he had loved to draw and color in a large green notebook. He had been learning his first kanji and how to hold a kunai correctly. Every time he had learned a new character, he had run up to him, showing off his writing skills. He was eight years old now and he has missed so much of his childhood.

Kasumi had been so small the last time he saw her. She had followed her older brother around everywhere, holding on to the back of his shirt and repeating everything he said. She had loved to crawl up into Yagura's arms whenever she was upset or simply tired. He would hug her back, keeping her small body safe and protected in his arms. She was five years old now. He guessed she was getting started on shinobi training.

Lying on the sand and feeling close to death, he wanted to see them in front of him more than he had wanted anything else in life. He had missed so many moments with them that he would never get back. Was Asahi's favorite color still pink? Did Kasumi still follow her brother around everywhere? What were their favorite foods? Their least favorite? Did they eat well? What were their favorite games? It hurt that he didn't know the answers.

The starry sky began to blur and Yagura realized that he had started crying. _Well, that's embarrassing._

Ever since his mind came back, he hadn't had a moment of rest to absorb what he had lost. Lying on the beach with nothing to do except heal, he could finally feel sorry for himself. He was too exhausted to move, so he stared up at the sky and let the tears roll down his face.

He was glad that only Isobu was there to watch him be so pathetic.

_**'I'm sorry, Karatachi.'**_

_'Me too.'_

Yagura forced himself to move his right hand up to wipe the tears off his face. He said nothing else to his bijuu. Instead, he rested for a few hours more, staring at the sky.

After a few hours, the moon started to sink beyond the horizon and he gritted his teeth. He couldn't stay on the beach forever.

_'We have to go, Isobu.'_

_**'I know. You need to rest more, but staying here is more dangerous. Can you stand up?'**_

Yagura nodded and forced himself to his knees. Even that small movement brought a new wave of dizziness. He had to pause with his head down and his eyes closed while he caught his breath.

When he opened them, he had to blink twice. While his right hand was intact, his left hand was missing the pinky finger and the ring finger. Burn scars in the shape of coral also covered his entire arm and most of his shoulder. In the rush of escaping Kirigakure, he hadn't noticed the true extent of the damage.

He looked at his arm with fascination. Jutsu were going to be more difficult to cast with missing fingers. With his staff at the bottom of the lake, fighting was going to become more difficult, too. _Well, at least it will make it easier to hide._

Yagura stared at his injured arm for a moment longer before he managed to stand up with a groan of pain. He would deal with his missing fingers later. He looked out at the horizon and saw one of the small abandoned islands that belonged to the Land of Tea.

He forced what little chakra remained onto the soles of his feet. He stepped onto the surface of the ocean, as careful as a newborn deer. To his relief, the island wasn't far. It would take him only a few hours to reach it, even at a slow pace.

He took a deep breath and began to limp away. He would reach land before sunrise even if he had to crawl.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: This chapter was very difficult to write. It went through many many many (many) revisions before I was even remotely satisfied. Did anyone really think that I was going to kill off Yagura? I wouldn't dare! Not my turtle man!**

**You can get in contact with me through Tumblr. My username is waffledogwrites over there!**

**Next chapter: Yagura heals.**


	8. Word of Warning

**In which Utakata reacts to political events, Fuu talks to Hisen, and Yagura heals.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

When Utakata woke up, the day felt like any other. He used the washroom, got dressed, ate breakfast, and went to the training grounds. He spent the entire morning thinking of new ways to add acid to his bubbles.

The first hint that something was wrong came when Harusame didn't arrive to supervise his training. However, Utakata didn't think much of it. Harusame was the only sealing master of Kirigakure. He was often called away by the Mizukage and his advisors. Utakata ignored his master's absence and instead continued to hone his jutsu.

It was only at lunchtime that Utakata realized that something serious had happened. When he arrived in the dining room to eat with Harusame, he found his master talking with two strangers. One was a petite woman with vivid red hair while the other was a man with an eyepatch over his right eye. Harusame sat between the man and the woman with his back straight, eyeing Utakata as he entered.

Utakata paused before entering through the sliding doors. He waited to see if he was dismissed, but Harusame beckoned him closer instead. He walked to the table and sat down cross-legged on one of the floor cushions. He waited for someone else to speak first.

"Utakata-kun," Harusame began. "There have been some new changes in Kirigakure. Some grave events happened during the night. The village will be changing drastically very soon."

Utakata gulped but forced his face to remain calm. The words 'change' and 'Kirigakure' together rarely boded well. He remembered the last time there had been a major change in the village. The Fourth Mizukage had created an extermination order for holders of kekkei genkai.

He waited for Harusame to explain, but his master looked like he was struggling with words. Instead, the small woman grunted and spoke.

"Yagura Karatachi is dead, kid," she said with an impatient huff. "Mei Terumi killed him and declared herself Mizukage last night."

"What?" Utakata asked as his jaw dropped open in surprise. _Yagura Karatachi is dead?_

"Mei fought the Fourth yesterday," the man with the eyepatch explained. "He transformed into a tailed beast but Mei was able to counter his attack using her Lava Release. She has declared herself the Fifth Mizukage. We are waiting for the daimyo's approval, but we find his refusal unlikely."

The three adults stared at Utakata, waiting for him to speak, but he stayed silent. He had a lot of questions, but he wasn't sure where to begin. He didn't know Mei Terumi and he wondered if she would be any better than the Fourth.

The woman frowned at his silence but said nothing while the other man stared at Utakata impassively. Meanwhile, Harusame gave him a sympathetic look. They waited for him to speak.

"So, why did you come here?" Utakata finally asked. _Why are there two strangers in our home?_

"You are the jinchuuriki of the Six-Tails," the man explained. "We needed to make sure that your allegiance is with Mei."

_In other words, you are worried that I'm loyal to Yagura and will betray this new Mizukage at the first chance I get._

"I'm loyal to Kirigakure," he answered. "I don't know Mei Terumi. However, if she was able to defeat the Fourth Mizukage, then I will follow her orders in the new village she creates."

Some of the tension that had been in the room eased immediately. The woman gave him a predatory smile, showing sharp teeth. Harusame breathed out in relief while the other man sighed.

"That's good to hear, boy," the man said. "We wouldn't want to have to look for a new host for the Six-Tails if you know what I mean."

Utakata suppressed a shudder at the threat. For the past few weeks, he had spent a lot of time with B and Yugito. He had almost forgotten that, in the eyes of the village, he was only a weapon to be used and discarded at any time. A shinobi village couldn't exist with a rebellious weapon.

"Well, now that everything is settled, would anyone like some tea?" Harusame asked their guests politely.

The man shook his head. "No, thank you. We have a lot of business to attend to. It's been a long night and this day will only be worse. Ameyuri-san, let's go."

"Right behind you, Ao-kun," the woman replied. With that, she stood up and stretched her arms over her head with an exhausted sigh.

They gave him one last contemplative look before leaving Harusame's estate through the sliding doors. As soon as they departed, his master slumped and collapsed on the tatami floor. Utakata exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. _I think I almost died there._

"It's a good thing you said you were loyal to the village first, Utakata-kun," Harusame commented. His face was marked with obvious relief. "If you hadn't, we might not be talking right now."

"Why would I say I'm loyal to Yagura, shishou?" Utakata complained. "He was a terrible Mizukage. Just look at what Kirigakure is like now. I just couldn't say anything before. I'm glad he's gone."

"Are you?" Harusame asked curiously before exhaling deeply. "Anyway, let's have lunch. We can train together afterward."

Utakata grunted and his master stood up to fetch their food. Utakata waited at the low table, resting his chin on his hand. He thought about Yagura. He couldn't help but feel happy that the man was dead. He hoped that Kirigakure would change under the leadership of Mei Terumi. Back when he first became Mizukage, Yagura had promised to lead the village into a new future. However, he had only made the conflict and hate within Kirigakure worse.

When Harusame returned, he brought with him a tray full of food. Utakata took his portion and the boy and his master ate together in silence. When they finished, Utakata thanked Harusame for the meal and headed back outside.

The rest of the day passed by like any other. After lunch, he fell asleep while meditating on the grass. When he woke up, he practiced his jutsu on the training grounds next to the estate. At dinnertime, Harusame talked about Utakata's strengths and weaknesses in battle and gave him ways to further improve. By the time he went to bed, he had almost forgotten the events of the afternoon.

After befriending B and Yugito, he had been using the Room's connection more often. However, he had only appeared there rarely during the day while meditating. He also only went after he had asked one of the Kumo shinobi to make sure that Yagura wasn't in the Room.

_Now that the Fourth is dead, I don't have to worry about running into him ever again._ The thought cheered him up more than it should have.

For the first time since the night he saw Yagura, when Utakata fell asleep he allowed himself to join the Room. He hoped to see the Kumo ninja or perhaps the red-headed man who had tried talking to him. He wondered if he would meet any of the other jinchuuriki that Yugito and B had told him about.

He was not prepared to see Yagura Karatachi lying on the ground and talking to the short red-headed man.

Utakata wondered if he was imagining things. The Kage was lying on the floor and panting heavily. He looked like he already has one foot in the grave. The two children he had seen before were kneeling next to him with worry in their eyes. The red-headed man was squatting down on Yagura's left side. He seemed anxious about something that Utakata couldn't see.

"MIZUKAGE-SAMA?" he yelled. "YOU'RE NOT DEAD?"

At his shout, the others turned to look at him at once.

"Not dead? What does that mean, Yagura-san?" the little girl asked with a frown on her face.

"It's a long story, Fuu-chan," the former Mizukage said. He looked away from Utakata to stare at the opposite side of the Room.

"You gonna tell us, Yagura-san?" Naruto asked next, his eyes excited.

"I will, Naruto-kun, but let me rest first, okay?" Yagura muttered with a lot of effort.

At his exhausted words, the children and the red-headed man shared worried glances. They then turned their gaze to look at something on Yagura's left side. Utakata felt like he was intruding on something, but he was too curious to leave yet. He bit his lip and walked toward the other jinchuuriki.

They said nothing, but the red-headed man did raise an eyebrow in curiosity. As he walked closer, he saw the former Mizukage tense at the approach, although he didn't turn to look at him. When he was finally standing next to the man, he gasped when he saw Yagura's left arm.

Most of the arm was covered in burns that had barely healed. His hand was the most damaged, with two fingers missing. The burns extended all the way up to his shoulder. It looked incredibly painful and Utakata wondered how he hadn't lost full use of his arm. He stared down at the former Mizukage.

"I thought you died." Utakata frowned.

"Nope," the man turned his pink eyes to meet him square in the face while giving a shaky smile.

"How did you survive?" Utakata asked.

He saw a look of pain pass through the former Mizukage's face. The man twitched as he looked from Utakata to the three other jinchuuriki. They glanced nervously back and forth between the Kirigakure shinobi as they talked. The former Mizukage grimaced.

"It's a long story," he finally answered.

Utakata huffed and crossed his arms, "I've got time to listen."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Yagura pouted, making his face look almost child-like.

"Oh! Are you gonna tell us a story, Yagura-san?" the little girl asked. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she met the eyes of the man lying on the floor.

"I guess," the Fourth answered nonchalantly. "It's not like I have anything better to do than complain about the pain."

"Wait! Can you tell Gaara-chan the story, too?" the girl continued excitedly. "He likes stories a lot but he can't come into the Room because Shukaku is mean!"

"Who's Shu- yeah, sure, whatever. Might as well invite everyone while you're at it," the former Mizukage said with a frustrated sigh.

"We can?" the children said at the same time before turning to each other and smiling.

"Naruto-chan, I'll get B-sama and Yugito nee-chan. You can get Papa," the little girl ordered before running off to a Door marked with the kanji for the number eight.

"Yes, Fuu nee-chan!" the blond boy shouted as he ran to a Door with the kanji for five carved on it.

The red-headed man sighed and shared a look of exasperation with the man on the floor. They glanced briefly at Utakata but ignored him. Utakata shifted uncomfortably and wished that Yugito were with him.

"I'm guessing you got hit by lava?" the red-headed man asked in a soft voice to break the silence.

"How did you know?" the former Mizukage groaned.

"I have lava release. I know what lava burns look like, even while shielded," the man answered while frowning.

"I guess that would explain it," Yagura replied with a sigh. "Anyway, who is this Shukaku and what did Fuu mean about him being mean to Gaara?"

"Shukaku is the Ichibi," the man explained. "He likes to torture Gaara. It makes it hard for the boy to concentrate, so we tell him stories to make him feel better."

"Ah, that sounds nice," the former Mizukage glanced at the red-headed man before closing his eyes.

"Anyway, we need to get closer to Gaara's Door. Would you prefer for me to drag you closer or do you want to have Han carry you there?" the man asked with a smile.

"I'd rather walk by myself," Yagura scowled. "But between looking like a baby in Han's arms and limping closer, I think I prefer the second option."

"All right, Yagura, I'll pull you up and you can lean on me while I carry you. It'll be just like carrying a drunk friend home."

"Still better than getting carried like a child," the former Mizukage complained.

Utakata felt oddly ignored. He followed behind the red-headed man and the Fourth Mizukage at a distance as they limped towards a Door marked with the kanji for the number one. The man concentrated and conjured some cushions. Trying to be gentle and failing, he placed down Yagura on top.

"Comfortable?" the red-headed man asked the man lying prone on the floor.

"No," Yagura answered bluntly. "I feel like I'm dying."

"Well, you're not. We're shinobi. Suck it up."

Yagura grumbled at the other man's words but didn't argue. He closed his eyes and seemed to meditate as he waited for the children to come back. The red-headed man turned his gaze towards Utakata.

"So, boy, do you know anything of what's going on? Yagura just appeared here in the Room looking like that. We'd just started to question him when you showed up."

"Well, Kirigakure has a new Mizukage," Utakata explained. "I was told this afternoon that some woman named Mei Terumi killed Yagura Karatachi. Apparently, that was incorrect."

He tried to keep his voice calm and contained. He had felt so happy learning that Kirigakure was on the brink of great change. If the man on the floor managed to heal and take back his post, Utakata was not sure if Kirigakure would ever recover.

"Hm, is that so?" the red-headed man said as he stared Utakata up and down.

He tried not to tense under the man's glance. He forced his face to stay neutral. However, the man seemed like an experienced shinobi and could no doubt read his true feelings. The red-headed man looked away, crossed his arms, sat down next to Yagura, and remained silent while they waited for the children to come back.

Utakata stared down at his hands and told himself not to listen to Yagura's painful breathing. He clenched his hands on the sleeves of his yukata and made himself breathe in and out. He didn't want to strangle the man on the floor yet. _How could you have survived? Why couldn't you have died? _He began to play with the hem of his yukata. Eventually, his thoughts were interrupted by a boisterous young voice.

"Mama! Mama! Papa's here!" the blonde boy shouted happily.

Utakata turned to look at the shouting voice. The boy, Naruto, if Utakata remembered correctly, was pulling on the hand of the tallest man Utakata had ever seen in his life. The man was wearing heavy-looking armor that covered all his body except for his brown eyes. He was walking calmly, letting the young boy lead him. The man's eyebrows rose when he saw Utakata standing a few feet away from the former Mizukage.

"Well, hello, I don't think we've met," the man said voice deep and calm. "My name is Han. I'm from Iwagakure and I'm the jinchuuriki of the Five-Tails."

"My name is Utakata," he answered, trying not to betray his nervousness. "I'm the container of the Six-Tails."

Utakata walked closer to greet the newest jinchuuriki. He had to crane his neck up to meet Han in the eyes. The tall man hummed when he saw Utakata before motioning for him to sit down. He then turned around to look at Yagura on the floor.

"What happened?" Han asked. He sounded strangely unconcerned about finding the former Mizukage burnt and suffering on the floor.

"Short version: lava," Yagura answered. "I'll tell you the long version once everyone is here. It's hard enough to think right now, I don't want to tell you everything only to repeat the story in a few minutes."

Han nodded at Yagura's explanation before walking to the Door that belonged to the One-Tailed Jinchuuriki. He placed his hand on the Door and closed his eyes. A conversation seemed to take place. Han opened his eyes and sat down while leaning on the Door.

Naruto also placed his hand briefly on the Door before sitting down on Han's lap. The older man ruffled the boy's hair and Naruto gave him a look of complete admiration. Utakata couldn't help but admit that it was a cute scene.

"Mama! Papa!" the little girl shouted while she ran back to the gathered group. "I got B-sama here! He says he wants to listen to the story, too!"

She smiled and ran to sit on Han's lap next to Naruto. "I asked Yugito nee-chan though. But she said that if she ever saw 'that tiny violent man' ever again, she would go and hunt Yagura-san herself."

She pouted before continuing her explanation. "She also said that she's too busy with the chuunin exams to care about what happens to him anyway."

"Don't worry little Fuu, she won't want to deny, the story we'll hear, I want to lend an ear! You dumbass phonies!" Killer B rapped.

Utakata groaned. He liked talking to Yugito more for a reason.

B gave everyone a wide smile before he sat down to lean on Yugito's Door a small distance away from the others. Utakata didn't hesitate before moving to sit next to B. He knew and liked him. He barely knew any of the other jinchuuriki and he had no reason to trust the former Mizukage at all.

"Yagura-san! Yagura-san!" the girl, Fuu, yelled in excitement. "Everyone is here! Please tell us the story. What happened? Why is your arm all burned? What are you going to do now? Where is-"

Han placed his hand over her mouth to keep her from speaking. The girl rolled her eyes but she didn't protest.

"Let Yagura-san tell us the story however he wants, okay, Fuu?" Han said in a gentle tone as he took his hand off of her face. The girl nodded and looked expectantly down at Yagura, face serious.

Yagura opened his eyes and looked around at his audience. He sighed deeply and began to tell his story.

"Well, it all started one night when I received a message from a potential informant," he said. "The message told me to meet at one of the lakes near Kirigakure to speak about potential intel on rival villages. Of course, I went to this meeting, not knowing what to expect."

He paused for breath and swallowed. "The only thing I remember was meeting a man wearing an orange mask with only one eyehole. He wore long robes with blood-red clouds etched on the cloth. I don't remember what he said and soon after, I lost consciousness."

From the corner of his eye, Utakata noticed Han's eyes narrow by a fraction.

"When I came to, three years had passed and I had no memory of what had transpired in that time," he continued. "When I pieced everything together, everything started to make sense. I realized that all my actions had been caused by a genjutsu strong enough to brainwash not only me but also my bijuu."

Yagura swallowed again and exhaled before he continued with the rest of the story. He told them about trying to figure out a way to improve Kirigakure without letting the caster of the genjutsu know. He talked about joining the Room and about the difficulties that came when trying to befriend everyone.

He explained how he had concluded that Mei Terumi was the best person to take his place and why. He told them how he met Zabuza Momochi and Ameyuri Ringo and they had fought over who got the honor of killing him. He told them how he fought Mei Terumi for hours until he took advantage of her lava release to fake his death. When the fight had ended, he had successfully escaped the Land of Water. From there, he had walked to a deserted island in the Land of Tea, where his physical body was now resting and healing.

When Yagura finished, he lay panting on the floor with his eyes closed in pain. Utakata didn't want to believe the story, but it made too much sense for him to dismiss the former Mizukage's words outright.

He remembered when Yagura had first become the leader of Kirigakure. They had hoped that the village's reputation as the Bloody Mist would improve with a new Kage. Instead, it had gotten worse as holders of kekkei genkai were persecuted and killed.

The Room was silent as everyone processed the story. Utakata had so many questions and concerns that he didn't know where to start. Thankfully, Han broke the silence first.

"Why were you targeted?" he asked. "Was it because you're a jinchuuriki or because you were the Mizukage?"

"I don't know," Yagura answered. "I've told you everything I know and suspect, but if you can see any connections that I missed, tell me. I plan to go looking for intel once I recover."

Han and the red-headed man shared uneasy glances before Han spoke. "I think we may have a hint."

"A hint?"

The red-headed man nodded and explained. "Han and I saw someone wearing those robes. He is part of a mercenary company. The Tsuchikage has hired him before because he is cheaper to rent out for missions than most shinobi. He is also willing to do the dirty work that normal villages would never dare to do."

"Mercenary company?" Yagura asked. "Did they target me as a job or did they target me as part of their own internal mission?"

The red-headed man shrugged and Han sighed before answering, "I have no idea. We only know that the Tsuchikage has hired them because we are Onoki's personal guards at times. He met a young man with red hair who had the look of a puppet master. I doubt he's the same person you saw, however."

"I wish I knew more," Yagura whined from his position on the floor. He placed his right forearm over his face to cover his eyes.

Utakata couldn't help but feel bad for the former Mizukage. He couldn't imagine losing three years of his life to a genjutsu. The rest of the jinchuuriki fell silent as they each absorbed the story. On Han's lap, the two children held on to one another in a hug.

Predictably, Killer B interrupted with terrible rhymes.

"I don't like those long faces, we can cover the bases, watch out for the guys, who are full of lies! You dumbass phonies!"

Everyone stared at B with dropped jaws which turned into frowns and groans of exasperation.

"Darn it, B" the red-headed man complained. "We're trying to be serious and you ruin the mood. What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we can do, we are only feeling blue!" B said. "We have to watch out, of that there's no doubt. If ya see red clouds, don't make 'em your shrouds! You dumbass phonies!"

"So are you saying we need to run away if we see anyone wearing cloaks with red clouds on them?" Utakata confirmed.

"Yeah!" B said. "Nothing to be done, we can't really outrun!"

From the floor, Yagura groaned before he used his right arm to force himself up into a sitting position. He looked around the Room and met each of them in the eye one by one.

"Well, I'm going to see if I can get any information about this organization after I heal some more," he said. "If you find any intel, please tell me, too. I would really appreciate it. I'll warn you if I find anything, too. I don't know if I was targeted for being a jinchuuriki or for being the Mizukage or for another reason. In any case, mercenary companies are unpredictable in the best of circumstances already."

The three older jinchuuriki nodded at his request. Utakata looked away, unable to meet Yagura's eyes. He felt guilty for celebrating his death earlier in the day. The man had sacrificed his reputation and his arm for the good of Kirigakure. Utakata wondered if, in other circumstances, he might have been a great Mizukage after all.

"Oh, and Utakata," Yagura said.

Utakata flinched. He turned to look at the man in the face. He expected to be reprimanded but the man simply smiled for the first time since he arrived. "Thanks for the idea. I hope Mei will be a better Mizukage than I ever was."

Utakata looked away, embarrassed. He had expected a scolding and he was getting thanked instead. He felt like the entire world had been turned upside down yet again. He heard Yagura sigh in exhaustion.

"Anyway," Yagura said. "I should go now. It will take at least a few weeks for me to heal. I will see you all soon. Bye."

With that last comment, Yagura vanished from the Room, leaving the other jinchuuriki to fret about the story. The two children on Han's lap hugged each other, fear written all over their faces. The red-headed man was pulling on his beard in worry as he chatted with Han next to him. Only Killer B looked calm as he furiously wrote new rhymes in the notebook he carried everywhere.

Utakata stood up and all sets of eyes turned towards him. He rubbed his arm self-consciously.

"Well, good night." He tried to avoid everyone's eyes by focusing on the wall.

"Good night," Han replied. "Will you be joining us more often, now? We will pass any intel we find through your Door if you're not comfortable with joining the Room."

Utakata shook his head. "No, that's all right. I will come here more. I... I think a lot of things have been made clear to me. I don't hate Yagura anymore."

"Well, that's a relief," the red-headed man answered. "We weren't looking forward to another fight here with Yagura. He's too strong for us, even working together. Plus, he's so small that even hitting him is difficult. Not worth it. Better to make peace."

Han and B nodded furiously in agreement at Roshi's words. Utakata raised an eyebrow as he wondered when they had ever fought one another._ I'll have to get that full story from them someday._

Utakata gave them all a small hesitant wave. The children returned his greeting with wide grins and energetic waves. Utakata gave them a small smile before he fell into subconscious sleep.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Fuu-sama," a deep and gravelly voice called from behind her, "Hisen-sama would like to see you now."

Fuu paused her kata. It was rare for anyone to interrupt her training. She turned around and saw Senji, the previous village head and the advisor to their newest leader, Hisen.

Suien huffed in annoyance from the other side of the training grounds. He hated whenever his tutoring was interrupted. Fuu's heart soared. Out of all her instructors, he was the cruelest and she was glad that their training would be cut short.

Careful as always, she slipped her kunai back into her pouch and ran to stand in front of Senji. The old man had always been respectful towards her, despite her status as jinchuuriki.

"What is it, Senji-sama?" she asked. "Does Hisen-sama need anything from me?"

"Not exactly, Fuu-sama," he answered. "We need to talk about your future. Come with me."

Senji gave Suien a small nod in recognition before leading Fuu away. She followed obediently at his heels. Neither of them talked for the entire walk to Hisen's office.

Before they opened the door to meet with Hisen, Senji glanced at her messy hair and wrinkled skirt. Under his critical gaze, Fuu tried to fix her clothes and tame her hair with only limited success. She had been training for most of the morning by now and she assumed she looked like a mess.

Senji nodded in approval before he stepped forward and opened the door to Hisen's office. Fuu followed close behind.

Hisen sat behind his desk, talking softly with a short man that looked familiar, although she couldn't name him. He had dark skin, black hair, and light green eyes and was looking at her with barely contained disdain.

Fuu forced herself not to flinch under the man's glare. Roshi and Han had told her to never show emotions in front of potential enemies. She breathed out and forced her face to become a mask of indifference.

"Good afternoon, Fuu-san," Hisen said. "Please sit."

Senji moved to stand behind Hisen and next to the man. Fuu pulled out the chair and sat down at the desk.

"Good afternoon, Hisen-sama," she said. She clutched the hem of her skirt before making herself breathe out and let go. _I can't let them see weakness._

"Fuu-san," Hisen said, "we called you here to talk about your progress in your studies. Suien-sama has let us know that your throwing accuracy is exemplary. You have also demonstrated above adequate chakra control for your age."

Fuu nodded and gave Hisen a small smile. Thanks to Yugito's help, she hit her target nine times out of ten and she could use chakra to stick up to five leaves to her face at once. Suien had even suggested that she was ready to learn how to create a henge soon. However, he had sounded exasperated about her progress instead of proud.

Hisen leaned back in his chair and glanced at the two men beside him. A silent conversation seemed to take place and Fuu began to fret. She hoped they wouldn't assign her even more time with Suien. He was the strongest jounin in their village, but he was also cruel and vindictive and loved to watch her fail. If she didn't have the other jinchuuriki to guide her, Fuu knew that her shinobi abilities would be a lot worse.

"We think that your skills are more than adequate, Fuu-san," Hisen said at last as he glanced down to meet her eyes. "However, we are worried that you are not as well-rounded in a variety of skills as we would like. There are many things that you need to learn. As a kunoichi, you need to have skills beyond taijutsu and ninjutsu."

Fuu was confused. _Variety of skills? What do they want me to learn?_

"Do you even know how to read, kid?" the dark-haired man asked from behind Hisen.

Fuu flinched and shook her head. She knew hiragana and katakana, but she didn't know many kanji. She constantly had to ask her teachers to read things out loud for her. Even when she did recognize all the characters, her reading speed was slow.

"What do you know of mathematics, Fuu-sama?" Senji asked, voice kinder than the other man.

"Not much," she admitted in a small voice and looked down at her knees. Suien had shown her how to do addition and subtraction. But when she hadn't immediately understood, he had given up and made her do more taijutsu katas.

"Do you know which villages Takigakure is allied with?" Senji asked next, voice neutral.

When Fuu shook her head again, the man and Hisen sighed in exasperation. Despite their previous praise, she only felt stupid and inadequate.

"This girl knows nothing, Hisen-sama," the man said. "She only knows how to throw kunai and shuriken. She won't be a useful weapon to Takigakure like this."

"I agree," Hisen answered with a huff. "Especially for a kunoichi. She needs skills that Suien-sama can't teach her."

Fuu shifted in her seat as silence fell across the room. She stared down at her lap. She didn't want to look up at the men.

"Fuu-sama." Fuu flinched as Senji spoke. "We have been thinking that perhaps you should enroll in the Academy."

Fuu tore her eyes away from her knees to look up at the three men in front of her. Senji looked calm as usual while Hisen was giving her a contemplative stare. Meanwhile, the third man was looking at her like she was something he had found at the bottom of his shoe. Compared to Suien's mockery, however, his glare was nothing.

"Academy?" she asked.

"Yes, we believe that your education will be best complemented if you enroll in the Academy." Hisen nodded before speaking again. "The new term will start in April and you will join other students that are your age. Classes are Monday to Saturday but you will continue your private tutoring with Suien-sama on Sunday. Suien-sama will be training my son during the week instead, now that he's a genin."

As Hisen explained, Fuu's smile got wider and wider. No more daily shinobi practice with Suien? Spending time with other children her age? It felt like a dream come true.

"Really? I get to go to school?" she asked excitedly. Senji nodded at her question and returned her smile. Hisen nodded in confirmation while the third man huffed impatiently.

"Fuu-san," Hisen continued, "you have four weeks before the start of the term. In that time, you must improve your reading, writing, and mathematics skills for your start at the Academy."

Fuu nodded enthusiastically, making Hisen smile at her excitement. She would do whatever was necessary to attend.

"Good," Hisen said as he leaned back and crossed his arms. "You are dismissed, Fuu-san. Take the rest of the day to practice your academic skills. I will send Suien-sama a message. Starting today, you will only spend half of the day on taijutsu and ninjutsu training."

"Of course, Hisen-sama," she said. Fuu stood up from the chair and moved to leave the room. She forced herself not to skip with excitement. Before she opened the door to leave, she remembered her manners and bowed down at the three men. Hisen and Senji returned her greeting with nods but the third man only glared at her.

Alone, Fuu made her way back to the training grounds. Even Suien's mockery and cruelty couldn't dampen her excitement. Soon, she wouldn't have to deal with him much, anyway.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yagura stayed in the tiny deserted island for two months with only the voices in his head for company.

For the first few days, he could only twitch in pain, moving only when absolutely necessary. With nothing to do except rest, he ended up spending a lot more time in the Room than before.

After telling his side of the story, his relationships with the others had changed. While Yugito still glared at him in suspicion, she didn't run away whenever he appeared. Instead, she preferred to give him the cold shoulder, accompanied by furious glare. He kept his distance from her. She was younger and much less experienced, but she scared him in the same way that Mei did.

Han and Roshi had always been polite to him but they were much friendlier now. They had started talking to him as a friend. They told him that they were going to stay inside Iwagakure and report anything they found to Yagura. He felt touched by their consideration.

Meanwhile, Killer B had started rapping at him. Yagura was not sure if he could consider that a reward or a punishment. In any case, he was glad that their relationship was better.

Another change occurred with Utakata.

The first few times, the boy had looked at him in embarrassment. It was very obvious that he had judged Yagura wrong and was now trying to atone for his old way of thinking. Yagura didn't confront him- he was only a boy after all. Instead, he asked him questions about what he had been learning and doing during training. Utakata answered his questions nervously at first. But after weeks of conversation, Utakata began to ask for Yagura's help with ninjutsu.

However, the best change occurred with the three youngest jinchuuriki. While he had seen them many times under Roshi or Han's watchful eyes, they had always been afraid to get close to Yagura himself. Now that they knew the story, they were constantly running up to him, pulling at his arms and demanding his attention. Fuu liked to ask for advice about jutsu while Naruto asked him to play games or tell stories.

A few days later, he met the other boy with the damaged seal who could only visit for ten minutes at a time. Gaara was shy at first, hiding behind Fuu when he first introduced himself in person instead of through the Door. Even after getting to know him, the boy was quiet and reserved. He reminded him painfully of Kasumi. His daughter had been quiet too, preferring to stand by her older brother's side in silence.

The three children always asked Yagura for stories. Within days, he had gotten used to having them hang on to his every word while he recounted old missions. Sometimes, the other jinchuuriki smirked whenever he had to censor his retellings for their young and sensitive ears. He usually gave them the middle finger whenever the children were out of sight. The act only served to make the other jinchuuriki more amused.

On the small island, his physical body recovered. After a few weeks, Yagura soon found himself able to move almost as well as he could before he faked his death. His left hand and arm, however, would always be scarred and he struggled to move with dexterity.

Because of his injuries, ninjutsu was not easy anymore either. He didn't need hand signs for every technique. Jutsu could also be cast with variations on the standard formations. However, the basic signs were there for a reason and the burns on his left hand made the task difficult. He struggled to make many of the signs that he used to take for granted.

With his staff at the bottom of a lake, he also needed to reinvent his fighting style. He couldn't cast the Water Mirror Jutsu and many of his taijutsu techniques would also need to be altered. He consoled himself by imagining his new weapon once he entered the mainland.

After months of self-imposed physical therapy, Yagura felt ready to leave. He looked across the ocean in a vain attempt to see the shores of the Land of Tea. However, the mainland was too far away and the night's darkness only made searching for it more difficult. Nevertheless, he knew it was the right way.

He clenched his left hand open and closed in a vain attempt to test its flexibility. He winced when the simple movement sent a jolt of pain up his arm. With a grimace, he sent chakra to his feet and stepped on the ocean.

Unlike when he left Kirigakure, his body was full of chakra and the journey was not as perilous. Almost effortlessly, he crossed the ocean by running and leaping over each wave.

He reached the mainland within an hour. He saw a few lights that belonged to fishing villages in the distance but he sensed no one at the coast.

His heart began to beat in excitement. It had been very boring to spend so long on a deserted island healing and suffering. Besides, now that he was in the Land of Tea, he could start looking for information on the mercenary group.

_But first, I want to see Anzu._

Based on the scroll he found inside his desk back in Kirigakure, Yagura could track down his family. He knew that his wife was hiding with Asahi and Kasumi somewhere on the mainland. He only needed to pick up her trail and he would find her.

_Knowing her, she is probably hiding at a brothel. She didn't specialize in seduction and assassination missions for nothing._

Looking around the deserted beach, he knew that he needed to rejoin civilization soon. However, his face was too recognizable to go into hiding. With a small sigh of pain, he made the Ram sign and transformed himself.

His body turned itself into a gray-haired version of Roshi. He looked toward the tiny fishing village and began to approach it. He knew Anzu's trail began there and he wanted to find her as quickly as possible.

Determined, he set off to rejoin civilization.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading and have a good morning, afternoon, or evening, wherever you are in the world. I fixed a weird plot hole when editing version 1.1.0 of this chapter. It was about Yagura knowing who Gaara was.**

**If you would like to talk, my Tumblr is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Yagura visits the red light district.**


	9. Reunions

**In which Yugito calls on a promise, Yagura visits the red light district, and Fuu goes to school.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yugito played with the small envelope in her pocket that declared her a jounin. Samui and Mabui walked at her side, smiles on their faces. Like her, they had been promoted, although only to chuunin level. She heard Samui and Mabui talking, but Yugito tuned them out.

Behind them walked Tsuyoi-sensei, who had a look of pride in his eyes. Farther back were the other shinobi. At the end was the Raikage, who had gone to Iwagakure as a judge. Of the rest of the genin, only Darui and C had earned their promotion. The two boys walked side by side, already wearing their new vests.

As they walked, the walls of Kumogakure got larger and larger. She shivered in anticipation. The other shinobi also began to buzz in excitement as their village got closer.

After two months in Iwagakure, Yugito missed her hometown and her bed. In addition, B had promised to take her to Genbu only after she got promoted. She was going to hold him to that promise. She had been able to speak with B a few times through the Room, but interacting with him in person was better.

To her surprise, instead of the normal gate guards, Killer B met them. He stood at the top of the main gate and looked out at the group of returning ninja.

"Welcome back home, ya dumbass phonies!" He smiled at the gathered shinobi. "I want to say congratulations, some of you changed your stations! You went from zero to the village's hero, yeah!"

Most of them stared up at B in awe, but Yugito rolled her eyes. She used chakra to leap up to Killer B's side.

"B, I think you promised me something once I became chuunin," she said.

"But, Yugito, you're a jounin," Killer B tried to argue. "I promised at chuunin, we can't quite begin! You dumbass phony!"

"Don't try to weasel out of it, B!" she yelled. "A promise is a promise! If you don't take me, I'll tell Raikage-sama that you lied to me!"

"Fine, little kitten." He sighed. "We set out real soon, just don't change your tune, yeah!"

"Good," she said with a sincere smile. B grinned back at her.

"I'm very happy for you two, but could you please get down so we can open the gate?" Samui shouted at them from the ground.

The two jinchuuriki froze. They had been so focused on their conversation, they had forgotten about the shinobi waiting to enter. Both of them looked sheepishly back at the waiting ninja.

"Sorry," Yugito apologized as she jumped back down.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yagura looked at the bright lanterns of the red-light district and hoped that he had reached the end.

He had spent over a month tracking down his family after leaving the island. He had traveled back and forth through the many tiny nations in the southern part of the world. After what had felt like forever, he had finally reached the end of the trail at Tanzaku Quarters. _How paranoid was Anzu about being found?_

Crowds of people, mostly older men, walked the tiny streets and alleys of the district. Most of them had younger women entwined in their arms or bottles of alcohol in their hands.

Yagura double-checked his henge. He had transformed into Roshi, but with slight differences. He had changed Roshi's vivid red hair for his own gray hair, making the man look older. He had changed the clothes, too, forgoing Roshi's ninja attire for what passed as the clothes of a rich older man.

His stomach stirred nervously as he headed toward the first brothel on the street. He hoped to get lucky on the first try.

He entered the brothel and walked towards the front desk. A pretty young woman with hair pinned up in twin buns greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, sir, welcome, what kind of service are you looking for?" she asked. She stared down at his clothes, trying to get a sense of how much money he had.

"I have a specific type," Yagura grunted, trying to imitate Roshi's rough style of speaking. "I want to see pictures of all your girls."

"Certainly, sir," the woman said before handing over a large album.

Yagura flipped it open. He was greeted by pictures of scantily-clad women posed provocatively. He instinctively wanted to slam the album closed in embarrassment, but he couldn't.

Sending a mental apology to his wife, he inspected the faces of the women, looking for Anzu's distinctive small scar under her left eye. However, none of the women in the album shared her small frame and he closed the book, disappointed.

"I don't like the look of any of these girls," Yagura said with a sigh.

Before the woman at the front desk could try to offer him a deal, he left. He went back to the main street of the red-light district. With a groan of impatience, he headed to the brothel next door.

Yagura had no luck with the next few brothels. When he stepped into the latest one, he had gotten tired of seeing pictures of nearly-naked women that were not his wife. With a frustrated groan, he walked towards the front desk.

"How may I help you, sir?" an old woman asked.

Yagura looked around the entrance. It was one of the nicest brothels he had ever seen. The floors were clean and the entrance was well-decorated. It was clear that their services were targeted toward higher-end clients.

"I have a specific type," he said for what he hoped was the last time. "I want to see pictures of your girls."

"Of course, sir," the woman said while handing over a large photo album.

He opened the album and began to flip through the pages. Unlike the previous businesses, he saw no provocative, barely-dressed women. Instead, the women wore beautiful kimonos and posed demurely. Each girl had their own page with short biographies next to their picture.

"This place looks well-managed," he commented as he flipped past the first page.

"We pride ourselves on our quality," the woman explained with a small bow. "Our _Oiran _are all well-trained in many different types of art."

Yagura grunted in response. If he was going to find Anzu, it would be in that kind of establishment. She was a trained kunoichi specializing in seduction and assassination. If she was hiding anywhere, it would be in a high-class brothel.

Yagura flipped past the first few profiles when he finally found exactly who he wanted. In the photo, Anzu was kneeling on the floor while making tea. She smiled with half-lidded eyes at the camera. The short profile next to her picture gave her name as Kyoko, but the small scar under her left eye was unmistakable.

Trying not to cry in relief, he looked up at the old woman. "Is this one available for tonight?"

"She is," the woman answered with a smile. "What kind of service would you like?"

"All night," Yagura ordered excitedly, placing the photo album on the counter. "Private room, of course."

"Yes, sir I will call for Kyoko-chan. That will be 554,000 Ryo," the woman said.

Yagura almost balked when he heard the price. He shook his head as he reached for his bag. At least he had taken some money when he escaped from Kirigakure. _Leave it to Anzu to stay at this kind of brothel. I'm going to need to make money soon._

He handed over almost all of his money. Pained, he watched as the woman carefully unfolded and calculated the total. He tapped his foot impatiently while he waited. He would pay anything just to see Anzu one more time.

When she finished counting, the woman looked at him with a satisfied nod. "I will fetch her. She is one of our best and I'm sure you will have a good night together."

"I'm sure I will."

The woman gave him a parting bow before she left to fetch Anzu. While he waited, Yagura crossed his arms and looked around the entrance. He hoped it wouldn't take long. To his relief, the old woman returned quickly, a short and slender woman following behind her.

Yagura's heart skipped a beat when he saw his wife. Her hair was much longer than he remembered and was pinned back in a half ponytail. The sharp violet eyes were unmistakably hers. She looked past the woman to stare blankly at Yagura, who had almost forgotten he was wearing Roshi's form.

He wanted to run up to her immediately but instead, he bit his tongue and waited. Anzu stood in front of him and bowed.

"Good evening, sir, I will provide service for tonight. I hope I will be satisfactory," Anzu said with a fake smile.

Yagura's heart was threatening to beat out of his chest. He looked down at Anzu's petite form. He cleared his throat and motioned for her to stand up.

"Of course. Your face called out to me," he said, causing Anzu to tilt her head to the side and smile at him again. He could tell, however, that the smile was fake and she only saw him as yet another rich customer.

"Sir, if you will follow me, we can go to my room," Anzu said.

She took his arm and led him down a hallway toward a wooden door, which she opened with a small key.

"After you, sir."

She held the door open and Yagura entered a well-decorated bedroom. There was a large bed on one side of the room and a dresser on the other. An armchair and mirror were in the corner. Tasteful woodblock paintings decorated the walls. There was a small table with two chairs in the middle of the room. Looking at the bed, his heart beat faster. For a second, he felt like a love-struck, hormonal teenager all over again.

"Would you like anything before we start, sir?" she asked as she closed the door behind her.

Yagura cleared his throat. "Some tea would be nice." He had always loved the way she made tea.

"Of course, sir," she said as she turned on the kettle on top of the dresser.

Yagura sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Anzu working. She turned her back to him as she made the drink, moving gracefully and placing two small cups on the table. He took the time to admire her movements.

Yagura looked around the bedroom to search for potential spies or eavesdroppers. To his relief, the room was clear and he sensed no one but himself and Anzu inside. It was time to reveal himself. He took in a deep breath to clear his throat and placed the palms of his hands on his knees. He exhaled deeply before speaking.

"Before my bed, the moonlight is bright," he recited the first line of their favorite poem.

Anzu froze before spinning around and looking at him with eyes wide open. Her jaw dropped in surprise. Her eyes fell upon Yagura's gray hair in recognition. She swallowed before answering with the next line of their code.

"I take it for frost on the ground," she placed the kettle back on the counter and took a step closer.

"Lifting my head, I gaze at the bright moon." Yagura recited the third line of the poem and Anzu took yet another step closer.

"Lowering my head, I think of my old home." She stood in front of him, looking down at Roshi's form in disbelief.

Yagura glanced up in uncertainty. "Hi, Anzu, how nice to see you again."

Anzu clapped her hands over her mouth in surprise. Her eyes filled up with tears and she let out a small disbelieving chuckle.

"Yagura?" she asked with hands covering her mouth.

"It's me, love," Yagura answered as he dropped the henge.

Anzu threw herself on top of Yagura, pushing them both onto the bed.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered in his ear with a shaky voice. "We got the news that Kirigakure had a new Mizukage. I couldn't believe that little Mei-chan had managed to kill you."

"No, she didn't," he answered, grabbing onto her kimono and pulling her closer.

They stayed together for a few minutes, simply holding onto each other. Anzu was sobbing softly onto his shoulder in relief. He could feel her tears falling onto his face. After a few minutes, she calmed down and she rolled over to lie down next to Yagura, placing her head on his shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Yagura sighed. "It's a long story. We should get some tea first."

"You always did love my tea," she said as she sat up.

He moved his right hand down her face and arm, grabbing onto her hand. He didn't want to let go and he sat up next to her. He leaned in, putting his lips on top of hers. She returned the embrace hungrily, running her hands through his hair and down his body.

She froze when she first touched his left arm. She looked down at his newly scarred hand and gave him a worried look. Yagura shrugged, making her roll her eyes and snort.

"You better tell me the full story soon," she complained.

"I will," he promised.

With a smile, she stood up and walked back to the kettle, where she continued to prepare the drinks. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed again. He tried not to blink as he watched her work, not wanting to miss a single second.

"How are the kids?" he asked.

"They're doing great," she said as she poured the hot water into the teapot. "Asahi likes to practice throwing shuriken when I'm not around. His aim is getting better. Kasumi doesn't follow Asahi around like a lost puppy, but she usually crawls into his bed in the middle of the night."

Yagura chuckled. "Is that so? Is Asahi's favorite color still pink?"

"He says it isn't." Anzu rolled her eyes. "Because he says that the color is for girls. But he is always coloring things in pink and he always chooses pink clothes. Kids are just like that."

"How is he doing with his shinobi training?"

"He's doing well. He's not a prodigy of any sort, but he has potential. Kasumi is really talented. She's only five and she already knows how to throw multiple kunai and shuriken at the same time."

"She gets the talent from her mother," Yagura teased.

Anzu chuckled. "Don't flatter me. We're already married. You don't need to try so hard."

"It's not flattery if it's the truth," he replied with a grin.

As she waited for the tea to steep, she turned to him with a raised eyebrow. She gave him a familiar fond look and walked back to stand in front of him. He took her hands in his and he pulled her in for another kiss.

When they broke apart, Anzu looked at him with an amused look and a quirked eyebrow. "So are you _finally_ going to tell me the whole wonderful story?"

"I will tell you everything."

He stood up and sat down at the table. She handed him a cup of tea and he took it appreciatively, blowing on the surface before taking a sip. It tasted even better than he remembered and he gave a big sigh of appreciation. _Anzu really knows how to brew tea._

"So are you going to tell me what happened, now?" Anzu prodded impatiently before she took a sip out of her own cup.

Yagura nodded and began to speak. Just as with the jinchuuriki, Anzu's frown only deepened as his retelling progressed. She grabbed for his hand in the middle of the story. He talked as they held hands. When he finished, Anzu looked anxiously at Yagura, chewing her lip in worry.

"So this mercenary group is after you, Yagura?" she asked. "For being a jinchuuriki?"

"I'm not sure why the masked man chose me," he admitted. "It could have been because I'm a jinchuuriki or because I was the Mizukage. Or it could have been something else entirely. In any case, now that everyone thinks I died, I need to gather as much intel as I can find about this group."

"So you're not going to stay with us, then?" Anzu looked down at her hands with disappointment and resignation.

Yagura ran his healthy fingers through her hair. "What happened is more than just me, love. I don't know what they want and if it's a threat to our village, I need to find out. Not just for our family, but for all of Kirigakure."

"I know," Anzu answered while she looked away. "But I still hate it. I want the kids to grow up with you in their lives."

"As do I," Yagura kissed her cheek. "I want to see the kids one last time before I leave, though. Where are they?"

"They are sleeping in our residential area. I bet that Kasumi has already crawled into Asahi's bed." She chuckled again and Yagura took the time to appreciate the dimples on her cheeks.

"Can we see them now?" he asked.

"We can, but you should leave clones here just in case. Akane-sama never interrupts our work, but you never know."

Together, they formed the Ram sign. Two clones appeared in front of them, one looking like Roshi and another like Anzu. With a Tiger sign, they cast the Camouflage Jutsu next. Anzu checked if there was anyone at the door before leaving, pulling Yagura by the hand. They walked down the hall and into what looked like a residential area. Unlike the rest of the brothel, everything seemed more worn-down and lived-in.

"This way," Anzu whispered as she pulled him through a door at the end of the hall.

He allowed her to take him wherever she desired, enjoying the feel of her hand inside his. They soon reached a small door. He saw two signs on the outside with name plaques inscribed with 'Asahi' and 'Kasumi.'

_They're on the other side of the door. _His heart was beating faster in anticipation. He had been yearning to see them ever since the genjutsu broke. Now that they were on the other side of the door, he almost wanted to back away.

_I'm going to make sure they're sleeping before letting you in_, Anzu wrote the message on the palm of his hand with her finger.

She dropped the camouflage and opened the door, not making a single noise. She entered and walked toward a bed on the corner. Yagura peeked inside the room, but he could only see a vague shape that Anzu was hovering over.

Anzu walked back towards the door and pulled on Yagura's hand. Hesitantly, he walked inside. His eyes adjusted to the darkness within seconds and he looked down at the two sleeping children.

_They are so much bigger._

Asahi was much taller than he remembered. Kasumi was sleeping next to her older brother, his arm draped over her in a protective hug. They were snoring softly, their chests moving up and down as they breathed. Watching them alive and breathing lifted a heavy weight from his shoulders. He was happy that he had gotten to see them one more time.

Yagura stared at them unblinkingly. He tried to memorize every detail, from the length of Kasumi's eyelashes to the number of freckles on Asahi's face. He wanted to wake them up and hug them blind, but he couldn't risk anyone else finding out about his survival.

Anzu stepped closer and took his arm, placing her head on top of his shoulder.

"They look very cute, don't they?" she whispered.

"Yeah. They are." Yagura felt his throat getting choked up but he forced himself to keep staring at the two children in bed.

"Are you crying?" Anzu asked, sounding both sympathetic and amused.

"No," Yagura lied, feeling his vision beginning to blur.

"Do you remember when Asahi was born? You cried for an hour when I put him in your arms. It was the same with Kasumi, remember?"

Yagura remembered. On the day of both of their births, he had paced anxiously outside the delivery room for hours. The news of a healthy birth had allowed him to join Anzu, who was holding the tiny baby in her arms.

When she handed the child over, he had been so overwhelmed with admiration at both his wife and children that he had started crying. Anzu had teased him about it for weeks afterward. Looking at them after everything that had happened, he felt like it was his first time seeing them again.

Anzu turned to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He took his free arm and cleared the tears out of his eyes. He could stay watching them forever, but he wanted to spend a final night with Anzu, too.

_Let's go back_, he wrote into her hand. Anzu took the lead again and hand-in-hand they snuck away back to the room.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu fidgeted anxiously as she walked closer to the Academy building. Senji walked in front, leading the way.

She played with the straps of her backpack and the hem of her shirt. When she had told the other jinchuuriki about attending school, they had been worried. They had then told her about how teachers and other students had despised them.

She hoped that the children and teachers of Takigakure would be better. However, after listening to their stories, she had little hope. In addition, Suien had been taunting her that she was too stupid to be liked by other children. At the memory of his words, she bit her lip before she could start crying.

"Here we are, Fuu-sama." Senji stopped and gestured toward a small building located near Hisen's office.

Fuu looked up and saw a banner welcoming the new students. She gulped. Other children and their parents were already entering the Academy.

Watching the children walk in with their family made her stomach twist in despair. Fuu wished her mother were there. Ever since she became a jinchuuriki, her mother had been on an extended mission. _She needs to come home already._

"Do I have to go?" she asked as she chewed her lip nervously, looking up at Senji.

"I thought you wanted to go?" Senji asked, amused. "You spent the last month excited about the first day of school."

"I changed my mind," Fuu said. Desperate, he turned to leave, but Senji grabbed onto her backpack before she could run away.

She looked up and pouted at the old man, who only looked down with an amused smile. "Come, Fuu-sama, I will walk you to your classroom."

Defeated, Fuu allowed Senji to drag her into the building. They walked through the front doors and down the hallway. They soon arrived at a classroom marked as Class 1-A. The door was open and Senji and Fuu walked in. There were a few children in the classroom, already forming new friendships.

The shinobi instructor was at the front, writing on the chalkboard. Senji walked towards him, pulling Fuu by the backpack.

"Takumi-san," Senji said, causing the teacher to turn towards the old man.

The teacher, Takumi, bowed deeply. "Senji-sama! I'm honored to see you here. What brings about this occasion?"

"I have to drop off Fuu-sama," Senji explained, grabbing onto Fuu's shoulder so that she couldn't escape. "She will start her training at the Academy today."

The teacher blinked and looked down at Fuu in curiosity before grinning down at her. "So this is..."

"Our village's newest student, yes," Senji interrupted. "Fuu-sama is nervous about joining the school and spending time with other children."

The teacher looked taken aback but took the interruption in stride. "Of course, a new student." He met Fuu's eyes and smiled. "Don't worry, kid. You'll fit right in. Tell me if the other children say anything, all right?"

Fuu's jaw dropped and she stared up at her new teacher in awe. He seemed much kinder than Suien or any of her other private tutors. She wondered if being in school wouldn't be so bad after all.

"You'll fit right in, Fuu," Takumi added while he went back to writing on the chalkboard. "Class doesn't start for another fifteen minutes, so you should sit down and meet your classmates."

Fuu nodded uncertainly, still amazed by Takumi's kindness. She glanced up at Senji and gave him a final anxious look before walking toward the desks. She turned around to look at Senji for support but the old man was already leaving. She gulped and looked at the other children.

A few of the other students glanced at her without saying anything. Fuu saw a pair of girls turn to stare and they talked to one another, keeping their eyes fixed on her. Embarrassed, Fuu forced herself not to react to their whispering. She sat down at a desk in the middle of the classroom, as far as she could get from the rest of the students.

She stared at the desk in a vain attempt to keep her mind occupied away from the girls talking about her. Her stomach was tossing and turning and she hoped that Takumi would begin the class already.

"Hey!" one of the girls walked closer and put her hands on Fuu's desk. Fuu looked up. The girl had lavender hair and large blue eyes.

"Ah, yes?" Fuu looked up and swallowed as she met the other girl's eyes. She remembered the other jinchuuriki's stories about being bullied in the Academy. She waited for the girl to speak.

"My name is Hana!" the girl said with a wide grin. "You have really cool hair! Rin and I were talking about it. You look kind of nervous. Do you want to sit with us?"

Fuu's looked wide-eyed at the girl again, expecting deception. However, Fuu could only see open curiosity in her eyes. The teacher had been kind to her, so perhaps the other students could be, too? Fuu bit her lip.

"My name is Fuu," she said. "Thank you? I like your hair, too."

"Aw, you're so nice!" Hana responded as she combed one hand through her long hair. "We should sit together! It's my first day, too, so me and Rin are super worried."

"Thank you!" Fuu said, her normal cheer coming back. "When Senji-sama told me I was going to school, I was really happy, but I got really worried this morning when I saw all of the other kids with their parents. My mom is on a mission right now, so she couldn't walk me to school."

"Wow, your mom is a shinobi?" Hana asked as she sat on the desk in front of Fuu. "What about your dad?"

Fuu shrugged. "I don't have one. I don't remember him so I guess he died a long time ago." Fuu knew nothing about her father. Sometimes, she thought she remembered a man laughing and spinning her around in the air. She wasn't sure if it was a dream or a memory.

"So do you already know shinobi stuff?" Hana asked, placing her cheek on the palm of her hand.

"A little," Fuu admitted. "Hisen-sama had this man named Suien train me since I was little. He's really mean, though. I don't like him. Takumi-sensei seems a lot nicer."

"I'm jealous, though!" the other girl said. "You already know how to throw shuriken and stuff, right?"

"Yeah, I'm only now learning about channeling chakra, but Senji-sama says my throwing skills are good." Fuu crossed her arms and puffed up her chest in self-satisfaction.

"Hey! Don't leave me out of the conversation! You were going to get her to come to us, Hana!" someone said. Fuu turned to the source of the voice. A girl with short blonde hair and green eyes walked to Fuu's desk, a small frown on her face.

She stood next to Hana and introduced herself. "My name is Rin," she said. "It's nice to meet you."

Fuu took her extended hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you, too! I was nervous that everyone would be mean, but everyone is being really nice!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Of course. Why would they be mean? You should sit with us. Class is about to start."

Fuu looked up at the clock and saw that the class would indeed begin soon. She took her supplies in her hand. Happily, she walked and sat down with Hana and Rin.

They talked as they waited for the class to start, sharing information about themselves. Rin was serious and pessimistic while Hana was the opposite, bubbly and talkative. They told her they had grown up as neighbors and had been friends almost since birth. It reminded her a little of her relationship with Naruto and Gaara. _I hope we'll be friends forever, too._

Soon enough, the class started and Takumi introduced himself as their instructor. He asked all the students to introduce themselves. One by one, they stood up and talked, giving their names, likes, dislikes, and dreams. Some looked nervous while others were more assertive during their introductions.

Finally, it was Fuu's turn. She stood up to stare at her classmates, her eyes fixed on her desk. Hana and Rin gave her encouraging smiles. She looked around at the other kids. Gladly, and to her surprise, none of them looked at her with the hate that Suien and her other instructors did. She swallowed to gather her courage.

"My name is Fuu," she began. "I'm six years old. I like practicing my new techniques and climbing trees. I don't like boring things. My dream is to be a really strong shinobi one day and make my mother proud."

Fuu sat down, feeling her face heating up. At her words, the other students clapped politely. She looked at Takumi, who looked at her with his brow furrowed. For a second, she wondered why he looked concerned. She pushed the thought away from her mind when Rin stood up to introduce herself.

After introductions, the class began. Takumi explained how their studies would be separated. They would improve their academic skills in the morning and their physical conditioning in the afternoon. For their first two years at the Academy, they would learn about ninjutsu only on Saturdays.

Once Takumi finished explaining everything, the rest of the morning flew by. To her delight, classes were more fun than she had expected.

When she raised her hand, instead of mocking her like Suien, Takumi answered her questions. When he asked if anyone could name the five major elemental countries, she recited them all. He had smiled at her knowledge and the other students had seemed amazed at her knowledge. Fuu had to force herself not to blush with pride at the attention.

At noon, the bell rang and Takumi told them that it was time for lunch. Some of the kids ran out immediately, but Fuu waited with Hana and Rin in the classroom first.

"Okay then, let's go out and eat!" Hana said with a grin. "The cherry blossoms look super pretty so we can sit and eat there."

Fuu and Rin nodded in agreement. The three girls left together with their bento. They talked as they headed toward the garden outside the Academy. They sat down under a cherry tree, watching the blossoms fall. As they ate, they talked about anything and everything that came to mind.

When they finished eating, Fuu showed them one of the balancing techniques she had learned from Yugito. Hana and Rin copied her eagerly and thanked her for the demonstration. She grinned at them as she began teaching them a simple taijutsu kata.

The afternoon passed in mostly the same way. Takumi had them doing some running for conditioning. He congratulated her when she was the first to finish the task. Fuu beamed up at him, glad to have a teacher better than Suien.

When they finished school, Fuu complained to her new friends about their homework. As she left the classroom, she smiled at her classmates and waved goodbye to her teacher. Takumi returned her wave with a grin and a wave of his own.

Her mood fell once she exited the building. The other children ran towards their parents or relatives who had come to pick them up. Fuu's smile disappeared and she stared at everyone else with their families. She looked down at the ground and wished her mother were there.

She waited a few minutes to see if Senji or one of her caretakers or instructors would pick her up, but no one arrived. Dejected, she walked home alone.

**O-O-O-O-O**

The rest of the week was one of the best in Fuu's life. Fuu talked with Hana and Rin before class and during breaks. She learned the names of her classmates. Takumi answered all of her questions patiently. At lunch, she ate with her friends and showed them basic kata when they finished.

On Saturday, their class had its first shinobi lesson. Takumi taught them a basic taijutsu kata, which Fuu replicated perfectly. He praised her work before moving on to help struggling students.

Although she liked the classes, her life at the Academy was not perfect. Her good mood was always broken when other children's families came to pick them up. It made her realize how much she missed her mother. Fuu hoped she would return soon.

On top of that, she still had lessons with Suien to suffer through. With resignation, she woke up early on Sunday and prepared for his tutoring. After a week with Takumi, Fuu was not looking forward to training with an angry man on a power trip. Nevertheless, she felt obligated to follow Hisen's instructions. Dejected, she got dressed and walked to the training grounds, which she found empty.

With a sigh of annoyance, she sat down and waited for Suien to arrive. She yawned and wished she had stayed in bed longer. When he finally did arrive, he glared at her and scoffed.

"Enjoy your time with other snot-nosed brats?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"I met new people," Fuu said, trying not to get angry at his words. If she tried to fight back, he would only be more violent and vindictive during training.

Suien scoffed at her response but said nothing. Without warning, their training session began. When they broke for lunch, she had nicked her fingers three times and had come close to tears twice. In short, it was a typical training session with Suien.

She watched him turn around to leave. However, she had a question and she wasn't sure who else she could ask. She had gotten tired of seeing the other children go home with their parents. Taking a deep breath to motivate herself, she grasped the hem of her shirt, bit her lip, and forced herself to talk to Suien.

"Suien-sama," Fuu said. The man turned around to look at her impatiently.

"What is it, you brat?" he asked with hands in his pockets. "It's time for lunch."

"I just have a question, Suien-sama," Fuu said. She tried not to flinch under Suien's glare, who was looking at her like something he found at the bottom of his shoe.

"Spit it out, brat, I don't have all day."

Fuu gulped and made herself speak before she lost her courage. "I only wanted to know when my mother will come back from her mission."

She looked up at Suien and was dismayed to see the look on his face. Instead of his usual disinterest and contempt, he had a wicked gleam in his eyes that he always got at his cruelest moments. Her heart began to beat faster and she worried about her mother for the first time. _Is her mission gonna take a long time?_

"I don't know, brat," Suien answered with a predatory smile that showed all his teeth. "You need to ask Hisen about it. He might tell you the answer."

"Hisen-sama?" Fuu repeated, lost for words. Before she could ask more, Suien left, chuckling and leaving Fuu alone at the training grounds.

_What can Hisen-sama know about my mother? Maybe her mission is taking longer than expected? Or maybe she got injured?_

Lunch forgotten, Fuu ran from the training area and toward Hisen's office. She ran through the village as fast as she could. She needed to know the full truth as soon as possible.

She almost slammed open the door to the office before she remembered her manners. She pounded on the door and waited.

"Come in," said Hisen's calm and serious voice.

Fuu opened the door. Inside the office, Hisen sat behind his desk. Senji stood ever-present behind him. An older boy who looked vaguely like Hisen sat at the desk, writing on a piece of paper. The boy wore a Takigakure hitai-ate that looked brand new.

"Fuu-sama!" Senji exclaimed in surprise. "What brings you here? Is there something wrong? You look worried."

Fuu shook her head. "I'm fine, It's just... I have a question, Senji-sama, Hisen-sama," she looked down at her feet. "I wanted to know when my mother will come back from her mission."

Senji and Hisen shared worried glances before looking at Fuu at the door. Fuu gripped her hand over the doorknob and stared back impassively. Hisen glanced at the boy who was looking at the scene curiously.

"Shibuki, please wait outside. I need to talk to Fuu-san," he said to the boy.

The boy, Shibuki, nodded, stood up and left, glancing back curiously at Fuu. She watched the boy leave before she walked to sit down on the chair the boy had left. She grasped the hem of her skirt in nervous tension. _What does he want to tell me?_

Hisen focused his gaze back on Fuu. "Fuu-san, We have a lot to tell you. I think it's time for you to know some hard truths."

Hisen sighed. "Fuu-san, there is no nice way to tell you this-"

"Is my mother okay? Is her mission taking longer than expected? When is she coming back?" Fuu interrupted.

Hisen flinched back before staring anxiously at her. He seemed lost for words and Senji stepped in.

"Your mother is not going to come back, Fuu-sama," Senji said in a tone of voice that reminded her of Han.

"What?"

"You have to understand, Fuu, that your mother is not on a mission," Hisen explained, his voice calm and focused. "Your mother died almost four years ago when the Seven-Tails was sealed inside you."

"No! That's not true! You're lying!" she jumped up from the chair and slammed her hands on Hisen's desk. She felt tears falling down her cheeks and onto the surface

At her denial, Senji left Hisen's side and went to kneel in front of her. He took her hand in his. Shocked, she allowed the old man to comfort her.

"We aren't lying," Senji looked into her eyes, face sad. "Your mother sacrificed herself to make you the jinchuuriki of the Seven-Tails. It was for the good of the village. It was the last thing she did as a shinobi of Takigakure."

At his words, Fuu started sobbing. She wanted to scream and deny everything, but she didn't know why Hisen and Senji would lie to her. Senji used his knuckles to wipe some of the tears away as he let her cry her heart out.

She heard Hisen open the top drawer of his desk and pass something to Senji. The old man proceeded to wipe her face clean with a tissue. Fuu let him.

"Why?" she asked when her sobs begin to taper off. She looked up and watched the two men have a silent conversation before they looked back at her.

"Because she was the jinchuuriki before you," Hisen answered. He scratched his chin, not tearing his gaze away from her.

"What?" Fuu felt her eyes fill up with tears again. She felt like she couldn't breathe. _Jinchuuriki? My mom?_

"Emi-sama was the jinchuuriki before you, child," Senji explained as he continued to wipe her tears away. "But the seal was slowly weakening after she gave birth. We could not afford for the demon to come loose if the seal broke completely. We needed to find a new host before that happened and you were the only option."

"After she gave birth?" Fuu repeated as she wiped her nose. _You mean after I was born?_

Hisen sighed before he continued his explanation. "The seal you have weakens during childbirth, Fuu-san. As Emi-sama's daughter, you were the only one with chakra compatible with the beast. When we removed the demon from her, she died."

Fuu reeled back at the new information. She remembered the last time she had seen her mother. It had been shortly before she became a jinchuuriki. Her mother had told Fuu to be strong and to listen to her instructors. She had wiped Fuu's tears away and told her that she was going on an extended mission. She had said that she would not return to Takigakure for a while.

Like an idiot, Fuu had believed the story. She had begged her mother not to leave and received one last kiss on her forehead in goodbye.

Fuu's eyes began to fill with tears again. She only wanted to be alone. She slapped away Senji's arm and stood up, running out of the office without a word. As she exited, the boy from before looked at her with alarm, but she didn't care about him.

She didn't care about anything anymore. All she wanted to do was get away from the people that made her a jinchuuriki.

She arrived back home after running past countless alarmed villagers. She passed her caretakers and ran to her bedroom. When she opened the door, she threw herself onto the bed and sobbed.

She stayed in her bed crying for hours. She heard her caretakers knocking on the door and demanding for her to eat lunch. Fuu didn't answer and only continued to wail into her pillow. When she ran out of tears, she laid down on the bed with her head on the pillow. She turned her head and looked at the light of the sun as it moved slowly across her room.

She wanted to keep crying, but there were no more tears left to cry. She inspected her hands and tried to remember her mother's face. She remembered her having green hair, but to her horror, she couldn't remember the color of her eyes. _Were they orange like mine?_

She breathed out and heard the other jinchuuriki trying to talk to her through the Room's connection. They must have felt her distraught and tried to get in contact with her. However, she couldn't make sense of their words and she didn't want to try.

Overwhelmed once again, Fuu buried her face in the pillow and cried.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Oof! This was a long one.**

**I know some people don't like OCs, but they are often necessary for a story. I hope Anzu was likable enough at least. The poem is called "Silent Night Thoughts" and is a Chinese Tang Dynasty poem by Li Bai.**

**You can get in contact with me through Tumblr. My username is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Utakata fixes things.**


	10. Connecting Hearts

**In which Yugito gets seasick, Mei reads a letter, Yagura says goodbye, and Utakata has a very eventful day.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Despite B's approval and Yugito's eagerness, it took a few days for the Raikage to approve their departure.

B knew his brother didn't like having his jinchuuriki away from the village. However, A also knew that it was critical for Yugito to gain complete control over the Two-Tails. After a week of arguing, A had approved. There was only one condition: taking another experienced shinobi with them. After some consideration, B choose to take one of the newly-promoted chuunin, Samui. Yugito always seemed calmer in Samui's presence. She threatened him less often when she was around.

Even after receiving permission, it took weeks to arrange the ferry that would take them to Genbu. While they waited, Yugito had asked B about the process of taming a bijuu. Not wanting to explain anything, he had told her to wait until they departed.

Now that B was walking towards the docks with Yugito and Samui at his side, however, he had no choice but to explain.

"You see my little kitten, the way this is written, you have to pass, and also surpass! Don't waste your youth, you won't go through, the Waterfall of Truth, you dumbass phony!" he sang.

"The Waterfall of Truth?" Yugito tilted her head to the side and stared quizzically up at him. At her side, Samui's eyes narrowed.

B nodded his head. "Soon you will see, there are steps but three, no need to worry, we don't need to hurry, yo!"

"So the first step is to go through the Waterfall of Truth, right? That'll be easy! I can handle it! What's the next step?" Yugito beamed before asking her next question.

"You then open the seal, and then with much zeal, you fight your tailed beast! You manage to win, your chakra's increased, you dumbass phony!

Yugito clenched her jaw in annoyance as she tried to make sense of his words. She took a few seconds to think. The boat was in front of them when she finally answered.

"So first, I have to pass the Waterfall of Truth," she summarized. "Then, I fight my bijuu to take control of its chakra. What's the last step?"

"For the final step, you don't want to misstep. You take back the seal, and make the beast kneel! Yeah!"

"Is it really that difficult, B-sama?" Samui asked, tone polite.

"The hardest part is your true self, of that there's no doubt. You must defeat, the darkness within." B danced as he reached the dock before he jumped onto the ferry.

Samui and Yugito jumped aboard as well, albeit without the dance.

"What do you mean I have to defeat the darkness within?" Yugito frowned impatiently. He got a sense she was tired of trying to make sense of B's explanations.

"Just what I said, to pass the waterfall, your darkness you shed," B answered.

"Yes, I get that, but _how _do I do it?" Yugito demanded.

"I can't tell you now, the time won't allow, you must see for yourself, how to find oneself, you dumbass phony!

"Believe me, B," Yugito answered with a smug grin. "This is going to be easy!"

B shook his head. Facing one's inner darkness was not easy. Yugito was only going to end up disappointed. There was nothing that B could do to prepare her, however. She needed to figure everything out herself.

"You say that now." B smiled condescendingly at her. "But you are only a little kitten, who doesn't know what it's bitten, you dumbass phony!"

Yugito groaned and turned towards the hull where the cabins were located. She glared at Killer B before she walked with Samui to find their shared room.

B shrugged at her annoyance and sat on the deck. He took out his notebook and wrote down new rhymes. Within a few minutes, the captain announced their departure and the ferry left in search of Genbu.

B breathed a sigh of contentment. He had always felt most at ease in the ocean. He leaned back on his elbows. He could smell the salt in the air and he heard the seagulls squawking. He felt the boat moving up and down from underneath and found the movement comforting. He settled back to enjoy the ocean breeze on his face.

He was having a good time when, a few minutes later, Yugito came running out onto the deck, Samui behind her.

Yugito ran toward the railing and grasped it before letting go of the contents of her stomach. Samui joined at her side and rubbed her back soothingly. Yugito placed her forehead on the railing and murmured something to Samui.

B shook his head. Not only was Yugito overly optimistic about taming her beast, but she would be seasick for the entire journey. If she didn't threaten his life on a weekly basis, he might have felt sorry for her.

Samui bent close to whisper something in Yugito's ear, pressing her body against hers. She touched Yugito's cheek and pulled a lock of hair behind her ear lovingly, blushing as she did so.

For her part, Yugito seemed clueless, as if hugging someone puking their guts out into the ocean was normal.

B shook his head.

_'Yugito really needs to get a clue, and not just about how difficult it is to tame a bijuu.'_

_**'Don't make fun of her, she's only sixteen,' **_Gyuuki answered.

_'I wasn't so clueless when I was sixteen.'_

_**'You were. There's a reason you're still single, B.'**_

_'I don't need a girlfriend, I have more time to spend. No need to be tied down, to someone who'll boss me around, you dumbass phony!'_

Gyuuki only sighed in exasperation.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Mei had no time to rest after she killed Yagura.

As her first act, she had rescinded the order discriminating against holders of kekkei genkai. Then, she had needed to figure out what to do with the jinchuuriki of the Six-Tails, Utakata. Ao and Ameyuri had reported back that the boy was loyal to Kirigakure. The knowledge had released a large weight from her shoulders. She didn't want the death of a fourteen-year-old boy on her conscience.

From there, work had only piled up. She worked almost non-stop, sleeping at her desk in the Mizukage's office for only a few hours a day.

While she complained about being busy, it also came as a relief. She didn't have to process her guilt in Yagura's death when she was busy with taxes and missions. However, after months of constant work and with the help of Ao, Zabuza, and Ameyuri, her workload had eased. She could no longer excuse sleeping in the office. She needed to move into the Mizukage's official residence.

Mei stood at the door of the house anxiously. It had been the home of all previous Mizukage. It had been passed down to the next one upon retirement, or, historically, upon death.

Mei closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe in and out deeply. She couldn't avoid her master's old home forever. Her advisors and friends were already suspicious about her reluctance to move into the official home.

She gathered her courage and turned the key. She stepped through and opened her eyes to look around.

In front of her was a staircase that led up into the bedrooms. On the lower floor, she knew there was a large kitchen, a living room, a small office, and a dining area. She took off her sandals at the entrance and went up the stairs.

She knew it would be painful to go through her master's belongings before moving in. However, she wanted to keep some things for both Anzu's sake and hers. Forcing herself to keep going, she walked toward the main bedroom. _I might as well get the worst part over with first._

She forced herself to inhale and exhale before sliding the door open and walking in. Her former master's bedroom was plain and mostly undecorated. There was a large bed on one side of the wall and a desk on the other. A thin layer of dust covered all the surfaces. Mei forced herself not to sneeze.

She walked to his desk first. On it, there were framed pictures. She saw Yagura's smiling face next to Anzu on their wedding day. In another picture, a young Mei stood between Yagura and Anzu, grinning happily. She also saw pictures of Asahi and Kasumi, some as newborns in their parents' arms and others as toddlers playing together. She smiled and made a note to keep the pictures for when Anzu and her children returned.

Mei opened the top drawer of the desk. She knew her teacher might have left something for her considering the situation. Sure enough, when she opened the drawer, there were three scrolls. Two were sealed and labeled with Asahi and Kasumi's name. The third was unsealed but has "Mei" written on it.

With a fond smile, she opened the scroll and read.

_Mei-chan,_

_If you are reading this letter, then I'm NOT dead. This scroll is connected to my chakra and will self-destruct when I die. However, I recommend that you burn it anyway._

_Since you are reading this letter, I assume that you are now the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure. Congratulations!_

_Please take care of my family since I'm going to find Anzu and tell her that it's safe to move back to Kiri. I'm gonna wander around the world trying to find out who put me under a genjutsu._

_These scrolls are for Asahi and Kasumi. Please give them the scrolls when they are both jounin or earlier if you think it's necessary. Thanks._

_Yagura_

Mei's smile froze on her face. She read the letter two more times, trying to see if the words would change. When they didn't, she slammed the scroll on the ground and stomped on it with her foot.

"Stupid sensei! You made me believe I really killed you! I hate you! Die for real!" she yelled.

Panting in anger, she stared at the crushed paper and forced herself to breathe. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and groaned.

Now calm, she picked up the scroll and read the letter one last time. She memorized the words before using her lava release to burn the scroll away.

She sighed and looked down at her feet. While she was angry that Yagura had made her believe he had died, she was also relieved. _So I didn't kill him after all._

With a sigh, she placed the picture frames on top of the scrolls. She would have something to give the Karatachi family later. She slammed the drawer closed. She glared at it as if the drawer had been the one to orchestrate the plan instead of her teacher.

She looked around the room. After months of abandonment, dust covered everything. It was even difficult to see out through the window because of it._ I need to clean it up before I move in._

Determined, she tucked her bangs out of her face and headed out to look for a broom.

**O-O-O-O-O**

When Yagura woke up, he was greeted by Anzu's beautiful face snoring softly in his arms. Rays of morning light fell through the window, illuminating her face with a heavenly glow. From the door, one of his clones watched out for intruders.

He waited for Anzu to wake up, trying to blink as little as possible. It could be the very last time he ever woke up next to her, and he was determined to enjoy every second of it.

When she finally woke up, rubbing her eyes and yawning, he brushed her hair back from her face.

"So it wasn't a dream," she murmured.

"No," Yagura said and leaned in for a kiss, which she returned eagerly.

He broke the kiss first and sighed in defeat. "I think it's time for me to go."

"I know," Anzu said. She sat up, stretched, and looked at him. "I wish we could stay together."

He sat up as well. "As do I. I have presents for you and the kids before I leave, though."

"Why didn't you give them to me yesterday?" she asked, raising one eyebrow in confusion.

"I got distracted," he said with a lazy wave of his hand.

Stretching first, Yagura stood up and walked to the clothes he had thrown carelessly to the floor. He dressed quickly and grabbed his bag, pulling out a scroll. He pulsed chakra into the seal and opened it, causing three gifts to appear in his hands.

He walked back to the bed and sat down next to Anzu.

"This is for you," he handed over a pair of small pearl earrings.

Anzu's eyes lit up. "Oh, Yagura! They're so pretty! Did you make them yourself?"

"I did," he said. "I spent days looking for good pearls. I'm glad Isobu is a turtle or it would have taken even longer."

"Thank you, Yagura," she said before kissing him on the lips as thanks.

"I love you, Anzu," he said in return. He felt her lips twist into a smile at his words.

Almost reluctantly, he pulled back to hand over the other presents.

"The scarf is for Asahi and the necklace is for Kasumi," he said. "Or you can switch it, it doesn't really matter."

He placed a long pink scarf and a small beaded necklace in Anzu's hands. He didn't know if she would tell the children where the presents came from and he didn't want to ask. At least he was able to leave them something.

"They will love the presents, I'm sure," she said. She folded the scarf and necklace together and put them on the bedside table.

"I do want something from you in return," Yagura said. He huffed exasperatedly and frowned.

"Oh?" Anzu tilted her head to the side, perplexed at Yagura's words.

"Do you know how much money I paid last night?" Yagura crossed his arms and glared at his wife. "I'm basically broke. I probably can't even afford breakfast at a street stall right now," he complained.

Anzu laughed. Despite the situation, Yagura took the time to enjoy her laughter.

"So you need money?" she asked with a smirk. "Isn't the man usually the one that's traditionally supposed to provide for the family?"

"Since when have we been traditional?" Yagura retorted with a snort. "But, no. That's not what I meant. I need a bingo book. Bounties can be very lucrative."

Anzu sighed. "Also dangerous."

"You know I like danger." He grinned. "Besides, it's the best chance to find intel on the mercenary company."

"I know," Anzu looked away, face downcast. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

With a deep sigh, she left the bed and headed towards her kimono. She rummaged through hidden pockets before pulling out a small book.

"It's a little outdated," she explained as she walked back to him and placed the book in his hands. "I haven't been active duty since I left Kirigakure."

"That's fine. I'll update it when I have the chance."

Yagura placed the book inside his bag and put on the rest of his clothes. When he was dressed, he looked back at Anzu, who had put on her kimono and was struggling to tie the obi. With a hum of appreciation, he walked closer and began to help.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Anzu said as she lifted her arms in order to give Yagura better access to her waist.

"Not as much as I would like," Yagura said, eyes focused on the task. "Anyway, I made Mei promise that you would be safe in Kirigakure, so you should go back soon. She will keep you safe."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Mei promised," he answered with full confidence. "I left her letters for her to give to Asahi and Kasumi. The kids probably won't be receiving them until they are jounin, though."

"Is this our last time together, Yagura?" Anzu asked as she lowered her arms.

"It probably is," he admitted as he pulled on the obi to tighten it.

He looked pensively into her eyes and saw resignation. He wanted to stay with her, watching Asahi and Kasumi grow up. But it couldn't happen. Anzu needed to return to Kirigakure and Yagura needed to collect critical intel. He could not ask her to join him in his mission either, not when Asahi and Kasumi's lives were also on the line.

He moved his face closer and placed his forehead on top of hers. He leaned forward, placing one hand on the back of her neck, for a final kiss.

"You should find someone new," he told her when they broke apart. "You are still young. Find a new husband and forget about me."

Anzu shook her head. "You know I can't. You are too extraordinary to replace. Where else am I going to find a jinchuuriki who is also a Kage?"

"Well, the jinchuuriki of the Six-Tails might become Mizukage after Mei," he speculated. "He's only fourteen though, so you need to wait a while."

Anzu laughed before she answered. "I don't think I could ever love anyone the same way I love you."

Yagura grinned at her one last time. He made the ram hand seal and transformed back into a grey-haired Roshi. From the door, his clone disappeared, its role fulfilled. With a heavy sigh, he walked to the door. He turned around to look at Anzu for what would probably be the final time. She stared back, her jaw clenched and eyes downcast.

"I love you," Yagura said before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him, leaving his wife alone.

Before he could do anything he would later regret- such turning back- he walked down the hallway to the exit. He saw no one else until he arrived at the reception desk. He saw the old woman from the night before tending the front.

"Did you have a good night, sir?" she asked with an award-winning smile.

"Yes, madam," he answered immediately. _It's the truth, after all._

"Well, if you ever come back, we have a frequent customer discount," she said. "Please consider using our services again next time. Our girls are the best in the city."

"Thanks," he said, imitating Roshi's gruff speaking style. "I will keep you in mind next time I pass by." _I'm never coming back here if I can help it, though._

Without any other word, he stepped outside and into the morning streets of the red light district. His stomach grumbled in hunger and he checked his wallet. He only had 300 Ryo left- barely enough for one day.

Frustrated, he decided to catch his breakfast at the river instead.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata looked in gratitude at the gates of Kirigakure as the morning sun rose behind him.

He had been on an infiltration mission in the Land of Lightning. After weeks on the mission, he missed the daily comforts of life, such as good sleep, fresh food, warm baths, and Harusame.

Utakata dashed through the gates by brandishing his identification card. The kunoichi at the gate gave him a reproachful look, but let him inside. Utakata ignored her. He was used to being dismissed.

Now inside Kiri, he wanted to run to Harusame's estate immediately. However, he had to give his mission report at the new Mizukage's office first.

With a sigh of annoyance, Utakata leaped over the roofs, moving as fast as possible. He arrived at the administration building within minutes. He jumped through the window to enter Mei Terumi's office.

Utakata frowned when he saw the woman under the Mizukage's hat.

_She's younger than I expected. _The woman looked barely older than Yugito, who was sixteen. She was working furiously, writing something at her desk. She glanced up when he entered the office but turned her eyes back to her paperwork. Silent, she motioned for him to walk closer.

The man and the woman who had visited him at Harusame's estate stood behind her. They looked at Utakata over the Mizukage's shoulder. The man held up a hand to tell him to wait. Utakata stopped and stood in front of the desk, waiting impatiently for the woman to finish her task.

The Fifth Mizukage finished a few seconds later. She looked up and smiled kindly, crossing her arms on top of the desk in front of her. Utakata suppressed a shudder. Smiles could be deceiving and he didn't know what the newest Mizukage was truly like.

"How was the mission?" she asked as she focused her attention on him.

"The mission was a success," Utakata answered. "The Land of Lightning has been working on some kind of video recording technology. They will use it first for their shinobi to improve long-distance communication. The technology will most likely be released for the public in a few years."

"That's good to hear," the Mizukage leaned forward and placed her chin on her hands. "Were there any difficulties on the mission?"

"None."

"Good, in that case, you are dismissed," she said as she turned her eyes back to the documents in front of her. "I expect a fully detailed and complete mission report on my desk before noon tomorrow."

Utakata blinked. _Well, that was fast._

Before, he had been forced to recount every detail of the mission to Yagura's assistants and advisors, no matter how inane. He turned to leave, but the man with the eyepatch leaned forward and interrupted.

"Mizukage-sama, don't you think we should ask more?" he asked. "I know there are more important matters, but it's necessary to know every detail."

"We have more important things to worry about, Ao," the Mizukage answered without looking up. "We will have a written report soon, anyway."

"Yes, but since you have a lot of free time right now, I thought it would be good for-"

At his words, Mei snapped her pen in half. Ao froze and the short woman covered her mouth with the palm of her hand.

"Are you saying I'm too much of a loser to find someone to spend time with?" Mei asked coldly, ink dripping through her fingers.

"What? No! Mizukage-sama, I just think that since you don't have anything to do, you could-"

"One more word and you die." The Mizukage turned to look at the tall man with a smile. "Now, get me another pen. Something has happened to mine."

"O-Of course, Mizukage-sama." The man shivered before he left the office to look for a pen. The red-headed woman snorted while Mei let out an angry breath.

"Utakata-kun?" the Mizukage said.

Utakata froze where he was standing.

"Yes?" he asked reluctantly.

"Remember, before noon," she told him with a vicious grin. "You are dismissed for now."

"Ah, uh, y-yes, thank you," Utakata answered.

He bowed deeply and escaped from the office. Once he had jumped out of the window, he heard the red-headed woman laughing maniacally.

Glad to be out of there, he wanted to head home immediately. However, his stomach, which had survived off ration bars during the mission, protested. He hadn't had a full meal in a month and he missed hot food. It was still very early in the morning, but some stalls would already be open. With a new goal in mind, he made his way to the commercial center instead.

When he arrived at a small alley, most of the stalls were still closed for the night. However, he saw a few people selling typical breakfast staples. With a growling stomach, he approached the nearest one and drooled when he smelled the food.

"I would like the eel breakfast, please," he said to the man behind the counter. "How much will that be?"

The cook stared at him scornfully, making him feel like a piece of meat. Utakata tried not to shrink back. He was a chuunin of Kirigakure and a jinchuuriki. He couldn't be intimidated so easily. The man gave him a familiar glare and his heart sank.

"For you, any price is too low," the man answered with a growl. "I don't want you or your kind anywhere near here."

"I just want to have breakfast." Utakata tried to reason with the man but he already knew that it wouldn't change anything.

"I said no," the man replied, voice full of scorn.

Utakata clenched his fists in annoyance but he backed down. He knew from past experiences that it wouldn't be worth it to argue with the man. He turned and searched for somewhere else to eat. He wandered through the different stalls as they set up for the morning rush. However, as soon as anyone looked at him, they glowered at best and spat at his feet at worst.

Dejected and with an empty stomach, Utakata accepted defeat. He leaped onto the roofs and ran back to Harusame's estate. The meal wouldn't be anything special, but at least he would get to eat more than a ration bar.

He arrived back home and headed straight to the kitchen. He served himself a bowl of rice and fried two eggs. He salivated as he added a little soy sauce. It wasn't amazing, but it would do.

He took his simple breakfast to the dining room. He was unsurprised to find his master lounging there as he read a book.

"Hello, Harusame-sensei," Utakata said. He greeted him with one hand while he balanced the bowl and chopsticks with the other.

"Utakata-kun! You're back quickly this time." Harusame looked up from the book to meet Utakata's eyes.

"Yes, master." Utakata sat down at the table and started eating ravenously. After a long mission, anything was delicious.

"How was the mission?" Harusame asked.

"It was good," Utakata mumbled with his mouth full of food. Harusame lifted up an eyebrow. Embarrassed, he swallowed and cleared his throat before repeating himself.

"It was good," he said. "I collected some intel on Kumogakure's newest communication technology." He shoveled more food into his mouth while his master processed the information.

"So Kumogakure is developing technology?" Harusame asked and Utakata nodded, mouth full of food. "Have you already given your mission report, Utakata-kun?"

That time, he remembered to swallow before answering. "Not yet, master. I only had to give a short debriefing and she told me to submit a written report tomorrow instead."

"Oh, and what did you think of the new Mizukage?" Harusame asked curiously. "I haven't gotten the chance to talk to Mei Terumi yet."

Utakata took his time to chew, swallow, and think before answering. "She's terrifying," he admitted, "but she seemed nice enough. She only wanted a brief report."

"Did she say anything to you about-"

"No," Utakata interrupted before Harusame could ask about the Six-Tails. "She just treated me like any normal chuunin. The people of the village weren't so kind."

"What did the villagers say?" Harusame asked, his shoulders tensing.

Utakata shrugged and took another bite before answering. "I don't know. Nothing really. I wanted to eat breakfast in the village since I was hungry, but they said they didn't want me there. It was easier to come back instead of trying to argue with them about it."

"Still, they shouldn't say that kind of stuff to you," Harusame said with a frown. "You're a valuable shinobi of Kirigakure."

Utakata shrugged again and continued eating in silence. He had gotten used to dealing with the hatred that the villagers gave him. As long as he had Harusame, he didn't care what anyone else thought about him.

When he finished eating, Utakata told his master that he would train for the rest of the day. Harusame nodded distractedly and Utakata cleaned up after himself.

When he arrived at the training grounds, he stretched before doing a basic taijutsu kata. However, instead of the usual calming effect of the warm-up, he felt incredible sadness.

_Why the hell am I sad? The villagers aren't worth getting upset over. So what if they were mean? Who cares?_

Despite his self-reassurances, the sense of grief didn't leave. He struggled to concentrate as he went through the movements. In the end, he cut the warm-up short, hoping that practicing his normal routine would make him feel better. However, when he began his normal kata, he couldn't concentrate either. His movement was clumsy and he made simple mistakes. When he blew bubbles, the blobs that appeared burst within seconds. Utakata felt foreboding in the pit of his stomach and he groaned in exasperation.

_Oh, fuck. I hope the stupid Room isn't interfering again._

Utakata stared up at the sky and frowned. The last time he had trouble with jutsu, he had gone to the Room to find out the Fourth Mizukage was a jinchuuriki. Somehow, that had escalated into a complete overhaul of Kirigakure's political system.

Utakata sighed. He hoped whatever new crisis wasn't as dramatic as encouraging the Fourth Mizukage to fake his death.

Suppressing a whine, Utakata left the training area to take a warm bath instead. Besides his master's cooking, he missed hot running water the most. After a month on the field, he felt grimy. He entered the tub and tried to relax, but the sadness in his subconscious made it nigh impossible.

With a grumble, he left the bath within minutes, unable to enjoy it. He dried off and got dressed, changing into his normal loose yukata.

He flopped down onto the futon and looked at the early light of the afternoon through the window. Despite the time of day, Utakata was exhausted after the long mission. Within minutes he fell asleep.

He automatically let his mind lead him into the Room. He already knew that something was happening. He tried to prepare himself for anything. He hoped no one was fighting or injured. That would be troublesome.

When his subconsciousness appeared in the Room, Utakata was ready for a fight. However, when he saw the little girl curled up with her face on her knees sobbing, he paused.

The girl was leaning on a Door marked with the kanji for the number seven. She didn't seem to notice his arrival, because she continued crying without glancing at him.

Utakata wanted to disappear. He wasn't good at dealing with crying or children. He was especially terrible at dealing with crying children. However, he knew that if he didn't try, the Room wouldn't let him concentrate on anything until he did something about it.

With a sigh, he walked toward the girl, wishing someone else was there. He squatted down and sat cross-legged a foot away from her. She tensed slightly at his approach but didn't otherwise react.

"Hey," he said, but the girl only continued to cry.

Utakata scratched the back of his neck. He didn't know what had happened and he didn't know how he could make her happier. He tried to remember what Harusame used to do when he was much younger and needed comfort. He remembered his master trying to make jokes. They were never funny, but Utakata enjoyed the effort anyway.

"Hey," he repeated, "your name is Fuji right?"

The girl cried harder. She mumbled something, but Utakata couldn't understand what she was saying. Reluctantly, he scooted closer and placed the palm of his hand on top of her shoulder. He patted her awkwardly and hoped that she felt comforted in some way.

"Not Fuji, then?" he asked. The girl shook her head.

"Then let me try to guess," he continued. "Your name is... Mei."

The girl shook her head again but it sounded like her sobbing had lessened slightly.

"No? Then maybe Yugito?" he asked. She shook her head again.

"Wait, I know! Yuki!" he guessed. "Miyako? Aki? Akito? Kagura? Kairi? Sachiko?" he used random names.

She shook her head but her sobbing was almost nonexistent at that point.

"Naruto?" he asked.

At the last suggestion, she giggled through the tears. Nevertheless, her voice sounded strained.

"No," she finally whispered, her throat struggling to say that simple word.

Utakata looked down at her and frowned. The girl had seemed very cheerful and talkative the other times he had seen her. Watching her fight to say such a simple word was... difficult.

The girl started crying again. Utakata scooted closer.

At the closeness, the girl placed her head on his knee and started to cry into his yukata. Utakata tensed but didn't pull away. Awkwardly, he put his hand on top of her head and petted her. They sat together like that for a few minutes. Utakata had no idea what to do. Nevertheless, the girl seemed comforted and her crying started to peter out.

"Fuu," he said once her sobs had turned into hiccups.

"What?" she whispered.

"Your name is Fuu, I remembered," Utakata said.

"Oh."

The girl looked up briefly at him before turning her gaze toward the floor. Her head was still resting on his knee and Utakata was starting to feel numb.

They sat together in silence before Utakata spoke again.

"So why were you crying?" he asked.

Fuu flinched before answering. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay," he replied and the two fell back into silence. He could understand needing to keep everything bottled up inside. He leaned on her Door and sighed.

_My leg is getting numb. _At the thought, Utakata tried to shift his leg. Immediately, Fuu lifted up her head and sat up. She pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged them close. He took the opportunity to stretch out his legs in front of him.

They sat next to each other in silence for a few minutes more, with neither of them knowing what to say.

"My mother is dead," Fuu finally admitted.

"What?" Utakata turned to the girl in alarm. Before he could react, she had thrown herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Panicked, his first instinct was to throw the girl across the Room, but he stopped himself. She cried into his shoulder and, not knowing what else he could do, he wrapped his arms around her tiny body. Her tears soaked through his yukata within seconds and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl.

"I'm sorry," he said, not having anything else he could say. "You must have loved her."

He felt Fuu nodding into his shoulder and he patted her head again. He held onto her, not knowing what else to do. He only had Harusame, and if he died, Utakata would feel the same way.

He let her cry into his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed together until he could only hear her sniffling. When she stopped, he shifted in order to make Fuu sit on his lap instead.

"Do you like bubbles?" he asked her. He had never been good with words but he remembered Harusame making bubbles when he was her age to cheer him up.

"Bubbles?" Despite the situation, she sounded curious.

"Yeah, I can make cool ones. Watch."

With her attention on him, he conjured his pipe and bubble solution. He blew many bubbles, adding a small amount of chakra to make them glitter more than they normally did.

Fuu looked at the results with eyes wide open. Her eyes were red after all the crying but the bubbles keep her attention. One floated nearby and she raised a hesitant finger to touch it. It popped immediately, releasing a small explosion of blue sparkles like a firework.

Fuu gasped and looked up at him in wonder.

"What else can the bubbles do?" she asked, her voice raw and strained.

"Many things," he answered. "Watch."

He sent a small pulse of chakra. All at once, the bubbles burst, showering the Room with lights of a thousand colors. He looked down at Fuu and was glad to see she was enjoying the show, the bright colors reflected in her eyes.

"Let me show you a different type," he said before he blew a new set of bubbles.

The new bubbles floated up into the air, a few moving in their direction. Fuu touched one that drifted near. That time, instead of bursting at the touch, it bounced away. With a squeak of surprise, she watched the sphere ricochet away. She looked up to him and smiled for the first time.

"Wow, Utakata nii-san, you can do so many things with bubbles," she said. She beamed up at him, although her eyes still looked full of grief.

"You haven't seen anything yet, Fuu. Just keep watching." With that, Utakata showed her some more of what he could do.

At first, Fuu was hesitant, only interacting with the bubbles that happened to float near her. However, after some time, she stood up, running around the Room and trying to touch every single bubble.

Utakata stopped thinking about the time, too mesmerized watching Fuu. They must have spent a long time together because other jinchuuriki started to show up.

The red-headed man joined them first, raising an eyebrow when he saw Fuu. Fuu waved and the man walked to stand in front of her.

"Hi, Mama," Fuu greeted the man with a sad smile on her face.

"Hello, Butterfly, you haven't answered us in a while," the man said as he squatted down to meet Fuu's eyes. "Is everything okay?"

At the question, Fuu's eyes fell and she looked away. "No, Mama," she answered. "Hisen-sama told me my mother died."

"I'm sorry," Roshi replied as he ruffled her hair. "That must have been difficult for you."

She nodded and looked up at the man. "I have a question though, Mama."

"What is it?"

She bit her lip and looked down at the ground before meeting the man's eyes. "Mama, did you ever meet my mom?"

"Your mom? Why would I have known her?" the red-headed man raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Hisen-sama told me she was a jinchuuriki. I wanted to know if you ever met her," Fuu explained. Utakata gasped in surprise. He had never heard of jinchuuriki becoming parents before.

The red-headed man kept his gaze leveled on her for a few seconds before answering. "No, butterfly. I didn't know her," he said. "Before you came along, the jinchuuriki never talked. The only ones I ever met were Kushina and Han and I still barely talked to Kushina. Everything changed when you came along."

"Me?" Fuu tilted her head to the side as she looked at the older man.

"Yeah," the man said, scratching the back of his neck. "In the past, we would ignore each other, but you made it better. Everything changed when I decided to comfort a crying little girl. I don't regret it."

"Really, Mama?" Fuu's eyes filled with tears, but they looked full of happiness instead of grief.

"Really." The man smiled and nodded. "I will never regret meeting you, Fuu."

Fuu started to cry again and she jumped up to hug the man around his midsection."Thank you, Mama," she mumbled. "Thank you."

At the hug, the man picked up the girl and hugged her close. Utakata looked awkwardly at the exchange before turning his gaze to look the other way. He waited for their moment to end.

After what felt like hours of hugging and crying, the red-headed man placed Fuu back on the floor. He greeted Utakata with a small wave of his hand before going to do some sort of stretching exercise by himself. Utakata made more bubbles for Fuu, trying desperately to remember the man's name. He didn't want to call him "Mama" by accident.

The little boy, Naruto, entered the Room soon afterward. Like Fuu, he was instantly mesmerized by the bubbles. He joined her in the quest to catch as many as possible, but not before giving Fuu a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. He talked to Utakata as if he had always been there before demanding that he make specific types of bubbles. He complied with the boy's requests, if only to make Fuu happy.

Later on, another boy joined them. Just like Naruto, he gave Fuu a hug and a kiss before he talked to Utakata. The boy introduced himself shyly as Gaara, hiding behind Fuu as he did so. He joined them in their quest to capture all of the bubbles. He didn't stay for long as he left only a few minutes later, saying something about a Shukaku.

Utakata waved goodbye to Gaara and he watched as Naruto, Fuu, and the man said goodbye to the boy as well. He made more bubbles and watched the kids try to capture them.

That night, he was the last one to leave the Room.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: This fic should actually be called "Crying Jinchuuriki Friends."**

**You can follow me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Thanks to the Fanfiction Discord server. Y'all are very helpful people and I love you.**

**Next chapter: Yugito struggles with romance.**


	11. Breakthrough

**In which Fuu returns to school, Yugito struggles with romance, and Yagura fears for his life.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Until Utakata comforted her, Fuu spent two weeks cooped up in her bedroom.

For those weeks, Fuu barely left her bed, preferring to hide under the covers. She ate only when forced to by her caretakers and slept for most of the day. Senji came in a few times to talk to her, but his words sounded like gibberish.

She ignored the other jinchuuriki too. They tried to talk through the Room, but she only wanted to wallow in her misery.

Fuu was very thankful to Utakata. He had known nothing about her except for her name. Yet, he had stayed next to her, letting her cry her heart out without prying into why.

Now, after two weeks of misery, she looked at the entrance of the Academy and gulped.

Fuu was anxious to return to school. She missed spending time with Hana and Rin and talking with them during lunch. Fuu hoped they didn't think she had dropped out. She missed Takumi-sensei too. She hoped he wouldn't resent her for being absent for so long.

Taking deep breaths in and out to steady her nerves, she grasped the straps of her backpack. She walked into the Academy while looking straight ahead. A few of the children turned to stare at her but Fuu only walked past them, her head high. She didn't relax until she reached the classroom and sat down.

"Fuu!"

She immediately heard a cheerful voice calling her name. She felt arms hug her neck from behind and Fuu startled at the sudden touch.

"What? Huh?" Fuu looked up and met Hana's eyes. She looked relieved to see Fuu although her eyes seemed especially shiny. Rin moved to stand in front of Fuu's desk, looking at the spectacle with her hands on her hips. Despite the stern pose, Rin looked equally concerned.

"I was so worried about you!" Hana shouted in her ear as she tightened her grip on Fuu's neck. "Takumi-sensei didn't know why you hadn't come to class and we don't know where you live so we couldn't visit you! What happened?"

Fuu wanted to answer but Hana's arms blocked her windpipe. She wanted to cry, and she wasn't sure if it was because of their concern or because of the lack of air.

"You're choking her, Hana," Rin said, voice calm.

"Gah! Sorry!" Hana apologized and immediately let go of Fuu's neck.

Fuu breathed gratefully and pondered how to answer the question. She didn't want to lie to them but she didn't want their reunion to start off with bad news.

"I'll tell you at lunch," she compromised.

Hana and Rin shared a perplexed look, but let the matter drop when they saw her face. Fuu gave them a shaky smile in return and the two relaxed as they sat down at the desks on either side of hers.

"So what did you learn in the last two weeks?" Fuu asked them.

At the question, Hana's eyes lit up. She started to ramble about multiplication, kanji, and the history of Takigakure. Rin interjected often with the correct information. Fuu listened attentively to both, trying to make up for her absence.

While they were still catching up, the bell rang to indicate that class would soon begin. All the children sat down and Takumi arrived in the classroom, carrying a large stack of books under his arm.

"Good morning, kids!" Takumi greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Takumi-sensei!" they all answered.

The man looked around the classroom and his eyes fell on Fuu. She tensed and slid down her chair, expecting a scolding. However, Takumi beamed at her instead, smile wide and honest.

"Good morning, Fuu, I'm glad you're back," he said. "Don't be afraid to ask me anything if you don't understand, okay?"

Fuu nodded in gratitude and felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She had been afraid of her sensei's reaction.

The rest of the day passed like normal. They finished their classwork in the morning. Takumi answered all of her questions and more. In a desperate effort to catch up, Fuu copied everything Takumi wrote on the board. At her sides, Rin took studious notes while Hana stared out the window.

When lunchtime arrived, they headed to their usual spot under the cherry trees. Expectantly, Hana and Rin turned to look at Fuu, waiting for the full story.

Fuu grasped the hem of her skirt and exhaled nervously. She had been thinking about what to tell them all day. She considered backing away, but she had promised.

"The truth is..." she began. Hana and Rin leaned forward until they were only a few inches away from Fuu's face. Fuu gulped. She knew she couldn't tell them the full truth. Her status as jinchuuriki and her mother's past responsibility was supposed to be a secret. She had to omit a lot of information.

"Hisen-sama told me my mother died on a mission," she lied._ If you count giving me her bijuu as a mission._

Hana gasped and placed the palms of her hands over her mouth. Rin jumped forward to envelop Fuu in a hug. Fuu was taken aback by the sudden contact but returned the hug. Soon after that, Hana jumped on her too, causing all three of them to fall on the ground in a pile.

"I'm sorry, Fuu," Hana said, and her voice sounded choked. "I bet your mom was really cool!"

"She was!" Fuu said, although with a pang she realized that she didn't know that much about her. She had been so young when her mother died. For a second, she worried if her mom was in actuality a loser. _I hope not._

The three sat up and Fuu smiled at them, turning her head to the side. She had truly found good friends. Maybe one day she would be brave enough to tell them about her bijuu. She knew jinchuuriki were feared and despised, but maybe one day...

For the rest of the lunch period, they ate and talked about whatever came to mind. At one point, Hana complained that multiplication was difficult. Rin only sighed and told her that if she wanted to understand, she should pay attention to Takumi. Fuu refused to take sides in their argument, although she privately agreed with Rin.

When their break ended, they headed to the training area behind the school. Takumi had them practice climbing over smooth walls. Fuu was the first to reach the top. Upon her victory, she yelled down encouragement and advice to the other students from the top.

When they finished the task, sweaty and exhausted, Takumi led them back to the classroom. For the rest of the afternoon, he lectured them about healthy nutrition for shinobi. Fuu listened attentively and took notes. She had her caretakers at home, but based on the looks they give her, they wouldn't be there for much longer. Fuu knew that she would live alone once she was old enough to take care of herself.

Takumi told them their homework for the day to grumbles from the other students. The children ran out of the classroom, saying their hurried goodbyes to one another.

"Just a sec! I need to pack everything!" Fuu said as she dumped her school supplies into her backpack. Hana and Rin waited patiently at her sides.

"Wait, Fuu, I need to talk to you before you leave," Takumi said from the front of the class.

The three girls turned to look at him.

"Me?" Fuu asked, eyes growing wide in curiosity.

Takumi nodded. "Yes, there is something I want to tell you. It might take a while, though, so I think Hana and Rin can go home."

Hana and Rin gave her worried looks but obeyed their teacher. They turned around to leave.

"Don't worry, girls, Fuu is not in trouble," Takumi said. "I just want to speak with her since she's been missing for a while. I have to make sure she's not confused, that's all."

At his words, Hana and Rin relaxed and turned to look at Fuu one last time.

"Bye-bye, Fuu" Hana yelled. She waved her arm back and forth enthusiastically.

"See you tomorrow," Rin said with a small wave of her hand.

"Bye, girls! See you tomorrow!" Fuu answered as she walked to the front of the classroom. Hana and Rin departed, leaving Takumi and Fuu alone.

Fuu shifted her feet and bit her lip nervously. Takumi sighed and sat down at one desk, motioning for Fuu to join him. They sat together in silence and Fuu played with the hem of her skirt.

"What did you want to talk to me about, sensei?" Fuu asked to break the tension.

Takumi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering. "Well, might as well just get it out there," he muttered to himself before turning his eyes towards her. He sighed before answering.

"Emi-chan, your mother, was my friend from childhood," he said, his eyes fixed upon her.

"What?" Fuu leaned forward, eyes wide.

"We used to work together back when we were genin," Takumi explained. "She was my best friend. I used to spend some time with you when you were born, but you were too little to remember me."

"You... knew my mother?" Fuu looked up at Takumi in wonder.

"I did," he nodded. "She was a great friend and we loved to spend time together." His eyes were full of grief.

Fuu remembered when Senji had first introduced her to Takumi. She had believed that Senji had interrupted to keep her identity as a jinchuuriki a secret. Perhaps it had been to avoid calling her Emi's daughter instead.

"What was she like?" Fuu asked desperately. "What color were her eyes? What was her favorite food? Did she like boring things? Was she a loser?"

Takumi laughed before smiling down at her fondly. "You are almost exactly like her in personality. She could have talked for hours without a break! She was always running around and climbing things. She would have lived up in a tree if anyone had let her. Though…" Takumi scratched his chin and grinned, "you don't look that much like her except for the hair."

"Really?" Fuu ran a hand through her hair and smiled. Blushing, she imagined a woman with Kushina's face but with short mint green hair.

"Really." Takumi nodded and leaned forward to ruffle her hair.

Fuu took the information and held it close. It wasn't a lot, but it was something she would have never known about her mother otherwise.

"Can you tell me more?" Fuu asked shyly. Despite the smile in Takumi's face, she could tell that it was difficult for the man to talk about her.

"I'll tell you anything. All you need to do is ask."

Fuu bit her lip and thought of what to ask first. She had so many questions in her head and she wasn't sure which one to go with first.

"What color were her eyes?" Fuu eventually asked.

"Pink," he answered. "Like cherry blossoms."

"Was her nose straight? Did she have thick eyebrows? What about her mouth? What did she look like?" Fuu leaned forward to ask her questions, increasingly desperate, placing her hands on her knees.

"Uh..." Takumi gave her a nervous smile at the onslaught of questions. "Well... it might be better to show her to you."

Fuu's heart began to beat faster and she beamed up at Takumi with hope in her eyes. Takumi returned her smile before standing up and walking towards his desk. He rummaged for a few minutes inside the top drawer before pulling out something and walking back to her. He held out a picture like an offering.

Fuu took the photo in her hands reverently. In the picture, a pretty girl with mint green hair stood in the middle of a group of three children. She sported a wide grin on her face as she looked at the camera, pale pink eyes glittering in happiness. She had pale skin and a narrow face, so different from her own. Nevertheless, Fuu saw some parts of herself there, like the shape of the eyebrows and the nose. _My mother. So that's what she looks like._

"She's so pretty," Fuu whispered as she looked up at Takumi, who was smiling gently down at her.

"She was." Takumi nodded, eyes looking wistfully at the picture held in Fuu's hands.

Fuu looked down at the picture again and paid attention to the other two children. One was obviously Takumi as a child. The Takumi in the picture was tall and tanned, with gentle dark green eyes and short blond hair. He smiled at the camera.

On her mother's other side was a short boy with dark skin, black hair, and light green eyes. Unlike Takumi and her mother, he stared at the camera directly, face serious. He looked familiar and Fuu racked her brain to remember him. After a few seconds, she recognized him. She realized that it's the same man that had been in Hisen's office when she was told to join the Academy.

"Takumi-sensei! You were so tall as a kid," Fuu exclaimed.

"Thank you," Takumi replied bashfully. "We took this picture after we graduated. Back then, we didn't have jounin-sensei to lead the genin teams. Things have changed a lot in the village since then."

Fuu nodded. "But who is this kid?" Fuu pointed at the other boy in the picture.

Takumi frowned. "That's Ryuu. You don't know who he is? He assists Senji and Hisen with mission assignments."

"Oh," Fuu said. "I saw him before in Hisen-sama's office. He glared at me the entire time I was there," she complained. "I haven't seen him again, though."

"Hm, is that so?" Takumi smiled, but Fuu could see his eyes were full of fury. She changed the topic, although she burned in curiosity to know about the man. _Who is he? Why have I never met him before? Was he my mom's friend, too?_

"Do you have any more pictures?"

Immediately, Takumi's eyes softened and he smiled once again at her. "I'll look for them at home. I'll make some copies if I can for you, okay?"

Fuu nodded. "Okay."

Takumi leaned forward to ruffle her hair again. "Now, you should head home," he said. "You have a lot of homework to catch up on."

"Yes, sensei!" Fuu stood up, returning the picture to Takumi's hands reluctantly. She started to leave before remembering her manners.

She turned back and bowed her head down. "Thank you very much, Takumi-sensei."

"You're welcome, Fuu," he replied with a kind smile.

Fuu grinned and ran back home. She had a lot of homework to do.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yugito stared at her reflection in the waterfall one more time. For the past five months, she had spent every day trying in vain to defeat her darkness. However, the monster that appeared every time was as strong as her and it fought exactly like her. Yugito had no way to defeat it. Nevertheless, she tried, waking up early for daily fights with the creature.

She had almost given up. In another life, she might have surrendered, content with the limited amount of control she already had over the Two-Tails. However, when there was a mercenary group possibly tracking down jinchuuriki, she couldn't give up. She had to keep trying, no matter how long it too.

Samui accompanied her to the waterfall each time. She provided moral support and a place to vent once she failed for the umpteenth time. Yugito loved having her at her side. It was the only point of happiness in her daily fights.

"Give it up, Yugito," the monster taunted. "You can't defeat me because I am you! You can't get rid of yourself. You resent the village too much for me to disappear and you are too weak to ever defeat me."

"I don't resent the village!" she yelled. "I need to do everything A says, no matter what! They have given me the Two-Tails for a reason and I will do whatever they ask of me!"

The creature laughed and sneered at her. "You can't even admit to yourself how much A and the village control your life, can you?" The reflection cackled as it walked to stand closer. "Just admit that you hate the control they have over you, Yugito-chan."

"I love Kumogakure and I will do anything for it!" she yelled. "There's nothing you can do to change my mind!"

Now in front of her, the creature met her eyes. Yugito stared into its red pupils and gulped.

"You're a selfish creature, Yugito-chan. You just can't admit it," the creature said as it placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not selfish!" Yugito protested as she slapped the monster's hand away. "I will do anything for Kumo, even if it kills me! But first, I'll kill you!"

Yugito lunged forward to attack, claws out.

Smirking, the creature leaped out of the way and responded with the same attack. Yugito dodged to avoid getting cut in half. The other Yugito took the chance and threw shuriken as she jumped in the air.

With a scream, Yugito opened her eyes. She found herself sitting on the tiny island in front of the Waterfall of Truth, panting from exertion.

"Are you okay, Yugito?" Samui's cool voice asked from behind.

Yugito forced herself to swallow and shook her head. She bent her head down and clenched her hands into fists. She ground her teeth and tried to think.

She knew that it was possible to pass the Waterfall because B had done it before. But she didn't understand how and when she had asked, he had refused to tell her anything. If he weren't so strong, she might have tried to torture the information out of him.

Samui walked closer and placed one hand on Yugito's shoulder. Yugito tensed at the touch. She was unfamiliar with any kind of physical contact. In recent times, she had noticed that Samui liked to get closer. Yugito didn't mind. She found the touch... reassuring.

"Was it the same as always?" Samui asked as she sat down next to Yugito on the island.

Yugito noticed that Samui's thigh was touching her own, but she didn't want to move away. She sighed before she answered Samui's question.

"Yeah, same as always," she admitted.

They sat together in silence, listening to the falling water. Samui's hand was still on her shoulder. Yugito really didn't want her to move. She knew that she should try again for the good of the village. Her body, however, protested and the only thing she wanted to do was sit with Samui. It felt nice.

Defeated, Yugito placed her head on Samui's shoulder. She groaned and closed her eyes. Samui didn't move away, leaning closer to Yugito instead.

"Thanks," Yugito whispered.

"For what?" Yugito could detect a quiver of hesitation in Samui's voice.

"For being here," Yugito answered. "I would have given up without you here."

"Really?"

"Really. Thanks."

Samui was silent for a few seconds. Yugito took the time to enjoy her presence. Samui had been there for her in the most difficult times. _Ever since we were put on the same team._

"You're welcome," Samui finally answered.

Samui wrapped one arm around Yugito. Yugito leaned in closer. For a wild moment, she wondered what Samui's lips tasted like. She swallowed, opened her eyes, and looked at Samui. Samui's face was pink, and she looked at Yugito with wonder. Yugito leaned forward to close the distance. However, before their lips could meet, her logic returned.

_Wait, what the fuck am I doing? Am I really trying to kiss Samui?_

Yugito bolted up, breaking the embrace. She blushed as she turned her head away from Samui to glare at the waterfall. She clenched her hands into fists and tried to forget what almost happened. However, her brain replayed the scene, colorfully adding details to their almost-kiss.

"I'd like to be alone for a while," she told Samui, her gaze fixated on the rocks next to the Waterfall.

"Yugito, I-" Samui started before Yugito interrupted.

"Alone, please."

Yugito wanted Samui to argue. She wanted Samui to refuse to leave. Her traitorous mind created scenarios where they kissed to make up for harsh words. However, Samui didn't protest. She only sighed before turning around and walking away, leaving Yugito standing alone.

_What the hell did I almost do? I can't let anything distract me. There's too much at stake right now. I have to follow orders._

Yugito bit her thumb and paced. As she walked, she got angrier and angrier. She had been trying to pass the Waterfall for five months and she had nothing to show for it. She wasn't sure if it was worth trying anymore.

She left the pond and stomped toward a tree. She punched the trunk in anger. It made her feel marginally better. She punched it again and again until her knuckles bled and her hands were covered in blood. However, thanks to the Two-Tails, she healed fast. Within minutes she could barely feel any pain.

She looked down at her hands with mild curiosity.

_I'm a weapon for the village. A shinobi must always put the mission first. I don't have my own desires and I can't abandon this opportunity._

The monster had called her selfish. Despite all her sacrifices, she was wondering if it had been right. She had always followed orders, allowing A and the village to dictate her life, but it wasn't enough. She was a selfish person and the attraction she felt towards Samui was proof of that. She needed to cut all of her own desires away and focus on the village. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

With a resigned sigh, Yugito collapsed onto the ground. Tired, she relaxed onto the grass as she looked up at the sky. Despite not doing much for the day, she felt exhausted. She watched the clouds float by.

_I need to try again, but my mind is a fucking mess._

Exhausted, she moved one forearm to cover her eyes_. Maybe some time in the Room will calm me down._

**O-O-O-O-O**

_Living in hiding to track down a mercenary company is more boring than I expected._

Yagura tried not to think about the hole in his wallet as he looked up at the ceiling in the Room. He had spent months doing small jobs, making connections with the criminal world, and pretending to be a mediocre ninja without a village. It didn't pay well, and he had to supplement his meager income by hunting and fishing for food. It was a difficult and boring lifestyle. It almost made him miss spending time behind the Mizukage's desk as a puppet. Almost.

He lay on the floor as he looked up. He tried to read the seals on the walls and ceiling, but he couldn't make sense of it.

Isobu had told him once that the bijuu had a shared mind space like the jinchuuriki. His bijuu had said that their space was rarely used because of their dislike for each other. Isobu described their space as infinite instead of contained like the Room. _I wonder if it's possible for a jinchuuriki to go there, though._

Fascinated, Yagura traced the calligraphy with the tip of his finger. He had never seen a seal as complex. He could make out some parts of it, such as the information suppression and transportation component. However, everything else looked like absolute gibberish.

He wondered if the Room was created by an Uzumaki or if it was created when the bijuu came into being. He would probably never know.

Yagura was on the cusp of breaking apart one of the transportation seals when he felt an angry presence arrive.

He turned around and froze when he saw Yugito with a furious look on her face.

Yagura gulped. His first instinct was to run away. However, he was the Fourth Mizukage. He could deal with an angry teenage girl. With new resolve, he turned his gaze back on the ceiling and tried to concentrate on making out the patterns.

To his relief, the girl said nothing to him and he exhaled in relief.

Yagura heard Yugito performing some taijutsu kata. It would have been a calming sound. But instead of the swish of movement and the grunts of effort, he could only hear violent curses and swears. Yagura swallowed and failed to block out what the girl was saying.

"Stupid fucking B," he heard Yugito cursing. "Tell me what the fuck I'm supposed to do! Defeat my dark self! The _fuck _does that mean?"

Yagura was burning with curiosity. He had always seen B and Yugito as allies. He tried to peek at Yugito from the corner of his eye.

"The fuck you looking at, brat?" Yugito sneered at him when she caught him looking.

_Brat? I'm at least twelve years older than you. _Yagura wanted to answer back, but he knew it would be pointless.

"Uh... Nothing," he answered instead, pointedly avoiding Yugito's glare.

"That's right! Mind your own business!" Yugito yelled at him before continuing her kata._ How can a teenage girl be so intimidating?_

He lay in silence for a few more minutes, listening to her cursing loudly as she punched and kicked the air. He almost wished he had run away instead. After a few minutes of tension, he turned his head to look in her direction.

"What the fuck you want, you asshole?" Yugito yelled when she saw him looking again.

"Ah, uh, nothing. It's fine."

"What? Do you think I'm angry? That I have darkness in my heart?" Yugito asked him with a furious scowl. "How the hell am I supposed to get control over my bijuu like this?!"

"Get control?"_ I've always been too curious for my own good._

"Whatever, I already said too much. It's not like you can help me, anyway."

Frighteningly, her eyes, which had burned with anger before, become suspiciously shiny. She collapsed on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and looking down. Her new reaction was scarier than anything he had seen her do yet.

Yagura sighed deeply. He thought about how to proceed. If he ran away, he would be a coward. If he tried to help her, she might try to kill him. He wasn't sure how, but it seemed as if she could manage it.

Yagura pondered his dilemma for a few seconds before he made up his mind. With a deep breath to gather his courage, he stood up and walked toward Yugito. He sat down cross-legged near her but kept a small distance between them, just in case.

"So you're trying to get control over you bijuu?" he asked curiously.

"Why do you care?" she kept her eyes looking pointedly away from him. He took it as a good sign that she wouldn't attack and he scooted slightly closer.

"Isobu and I needed time to learn how to work together," he said. "He was seen as only a monster for a long time, so it took a while for us to understand each other." He tried to gauge her reaction, but she was unmoving and glaring at the other side of the Room. "I know how difficult it is to work together with your bijuu. What exactly is the problem for you, Yugito-san?"

Yugito refused to meet his eyes as she scowled at the walls of the Room as if they had done a great disservice to her. When Yagura was almost certain she wouldn't answer, she spoke.

"I have to pass the Waterfall of Truth," Yugito explained. "I have to fight and defeat my dark self. I've been trying for months, but I can't even put a scratch on it. The monster in the waterfall is just as strong as I am and uses the same techniques I do. There is no way to defeat it."

"Why are you trying to defeat yourself?" Yagura asked, confused.

"What do you mean, why? B told me I needed to defeat my dark self." Yugito looked at him with a glare that could curdle milk.

"And you trust B?" Yagura asked her with a shrug. He liked the man and he could recognize Killer B's talent, but he was strange at best and insane at worst.

At the question, Yugito hesitated and bit her lip. Yagura sighed before moving closer but still far enough away to dodge if necessary.

"Yugito-san," he said, almost tempted to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He refrained. "There is no way to defeat your own darkness in a conventional sense. It's pointless to try. Everyone has darkness in their hearts and that's okay."

Yugito turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised but said nothing. Emboldened that she hadn't tried to skewer him, he continued. "A bijuu's first instinct is to take the hate in your heart and mold it for its own use. But it can only do that because you want to deny that this darkness exists. You can't get rid of it. Accept it as part of yourself."

When he finished, Yugito looked quietly at him. For once, she didn't have a frown or a glare on her face and she appeared thoughtful instead.

"I can't get rid of it, huh?" Yugito said to herself as she placed one clenched fist over her heart.

"You can't," Yagura answered. "There is nothing wrong with having those kinds of feelings. But your reaction matters. Don't let darkness win, but don't try to get rid of it either."

At his words, Yugito looked thoughtfully at the other side of the Room. She stretched her legs out in front of her.

"Part of me, huh?" she asked. She had stopped glaring. Yagura appreciated the lack of hate in her eyes. He allowed himself to relax marginally in her presence. He waited for her to speak.

"Hm," she finally answered. "Accept my dark feelings. I never thought about that."

Yagura shrugged. "It's part of who you are, whether you like it or not. People aren't made up of only positive things. We need to feel hate, and resentment, and anger if we want to survive. It's okay to be selfish sometimes."

Yugito grunted in agreement. "You look like a little kid, but you can be really wise, too."

"Little kid?" Yagura wanted to defend himself, but he knew it was useless. He bit his tongue instead. He didn't want to argue with her.

Yugito exhaled, long and deep, and closed her eyes in contemplation before speaking.

"Fine," she answered and Yagura relaxed. "I'll try it your way. Thanks."

Yugito turned to look at him in the eye and smiled. Yagura felt a shiver course through his body. It was the first time he had seen Yugito happy with anyone other than the children and the effect was unnerving.

"Well, I guess I'll go," Yugito said as she stood up. "I think I know what I have to do now."

With those words, she vanished, leaving Yagura alone in the Room. Yagura sighed in relief.

_That girl is terrifying._

**O-O-O-O-O**

When Yugito woke up, she found herself resting under the tree where she had fallen asleep earlier. She blinked up at the tree canopy and tried to get her bearings. After the conversation with the tiny Mizukage, she felt much calmer. Facing her inner demons didn't sound so terrifying anymore.

She sat up and stared at her hands. They had healed completely, not even a scratch on them. To her dismay, however, they were covered in blood. For a moment she felt ashamed about breaking down so easily earlier.

With a sigh, she sat up and headed to the pond in front of the Waterfall of Truth. She dipped her hands into the water and watched the blood wash away and disappear. She was alone in the clearing. She wished that she hadn't told Samui to leave earlier.

Her hands clean, she stood up and walked to the islet. She sat down cross-legged on the grass and concentrated. She blinked and when she opened her eyes. The monster- no, herself- appeared in front of the waterfall, sneering down at her, red eyes full of hate.

"So the little kitten is back?" her reflection mocked. "You might have talked to the little menace, but you can't beat me."

Yugito closed her eyes. She was tired. She was tired of trying to pretend that everything she did was for the village. She was tired of sacrificing herself. And she was especially tired of the same useless fight.

"You're right," Yugito said as she stared up at her reflection. Her clone frowned and Yugito stood up to meet her face to face. "I will never win against you because neither of us is stronger or weaker than the other."

The other Yugito snorted. "You can't delete me from your heart either. I'm part of you, whether you want me to be or not."

"I know that," Yugito answered. "But I will not try anymore. It's like you said, I can't get rid of you. But talking with Yagura made me realize some things."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Yugito answered calmly. "You're me. You know everything I do." Yugito met herself eye to eye. "It's okay to be selfish sometimes."

"I thought everything you do is for the village?" The reflection sneered at her.

Yugito shook her head. "I thought so, too. But... thinking about everything... It's impossible. I want to live my life with my own friends and make my own family. If that makes me selfish, then maybe that's okay, too."

"Is it really okay?" the reflection asked. "Is it okay to want and desire things for myself?"

"It is."

The two Yugitos stood in silence as they appraised each other. Yugito stared impassively at herself. She had only seen the reflection as a monster or creature, but it wasn't. Whatever selfish desires she had, they weren't wrong and they didn't make her a traitor to Kumogakure.

"What are we going to do?" the reflection asked as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I don't know," Yugito admitted. "But whatever we decide, we will do it together. I'm not going to pretend that everything I do is for the village anymore."

At those words, the reflection looked away to stare at the trees surrounding them. Neither of them spoke. Yugito didn't know what would happen next. But, she didn't want to be self-sacrificing anymore, either. She wanted to be herself.

The other Yugito turned back to look at her and smiled sincerely. She tilted her head to the side and walked closer. Yugito copied her to meet her on the pond's surface.

"I'm glad," the second Yugito said. "I'm tired of pretending."

"So am I."

Yugito leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her clone. They hugged but within seconds, Yugito was left holding nothing but air. She stared at the Waterfall of Truth one more time, but she saw only water as nothing came out to fight her.

With a sigh of relief, Yugito turned around and ran back to the resort. She needed to find Samui and tell her how she felt. She also needed to find B. She didn't know if she wanted to slap him or hug him. She might do both.

_But first, Samui. I shouldn't have told her to leave me alone._

Yugito arrived at the resort and searched for her desperately. She found her quickly at the main lounge. She was sitting at a table, drinking a cup of coffee, and staring out the window. She hadn't noticed her and Yugito snuck up from behind.

"Samui."

Samui's shoulders tensed and she turned her head to look up at Yugito. A slight blush spread across her cheeks and she slowly placed the cup of coffee on the table.

"Yugito," she answered, voice as cool and collected as always.

The two girls stared at each other as they waited for the other to speak. Yugito swallowed nervously and sat down on the chair next to Samui's.

"I'm sorry I told you I wanted to be alone," Yugito began. "But I was scared."

"Scared?" Samui asked curiously. "I've seen you stand up to armies of enemy shinobi. What could scare you?"

Yugito sighed. Sometimes her reputation preceded her.

"I'm afraid of doing what I want to do," Yugito admitted. "I've been denying myself for a long time and I don't think I can do it anymore."

"Denying yourself?"

"I..." Yugito swallowed again and felt her face burn in embarrassment. "I want you."

Yugito looked away to stare at the ocean through the window. Samui fell silent and Yugito waited for her answer. Yugito's face felt hot, and she tapped her foot impatiently. She waited for what felt like forever for Samui's reply.

"Oh."

At the sound, Yugito turned to look at Samui. Samui's face was red, and she fidgeted with the cup in front of her.

"Oh?" Yugito asked as she leaned forward.

"I... uh..." Samui cleared her throat and swallowed. "I wished you would say that to me one day. But I didn't want to get my hopes up."

Yugito smiled and Samui copied her, beaming at her as she placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward. Yugito placed her hand on Samui's cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Before she had time to reconsider, she leaned forward until they were only an inch away from each other.

"Is this okay?" Yugito asked, biting her lip.

Samui nodded and she swallowed. Her face was still red and her eyes were open wide. Yugito smiled at the sight. It was rare to see Samui so unfettered.

Yugito licked her lips and leaned forward to close the gap. She closed her eyes and felt Samui relax marginally. Samui's lips moved to meet hers and she heard a small sigh of pleasure from the back of Samui's throat.

It was a short kiss, almost chaste. Yet, when they broke apart, Samui's face was flushed and she looked at Yugito like she never had before.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Yugito is actually the scariest jinchuuriki.**

**If you want to talk to me, I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. Thanks for reading! Love you!**

**Next chapter: Rasa is a dick.**


	12. Medicine for the Heart

**In which Roshi celebrates a birthday, Naruto plays in the sandbox, and Gaara learns something new.**

**Warning for a minor character's violent death in this chapter.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

It was dusk as Roshi leaped through the village. He cradled the bottle of sake in the crook of his elbow as he avoided the people who wandered in the streets. Some people gave him dirty looks, but Roshi ignored them with the ease that came from long practice.

He reached Han's apartment within minutes, disabling the alarm and letting himself in.

"Han!" he shouted. "I'm here! I got you a bottle of sake from the Land of Fire. This shit was expensive."

"Roshi?" Han answered from the kitchen. Despite the apron tied around his waist and the lack of armor, Han's height always made him look imposing. _Lucky bastard._

"It's me," Roshi confirmed. "I got you the best sake I could find."

Roshi waved and walked to the kitchen to place the bottle on the counter. He clapped Han on the elbow, the tallest place he could reach without standing on his tiptoes.

"What's the occasion?" Han asked curiously as he chopped some vegetables.

Roshi sighed in exasperation and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Han is a forgetful idiot._

"You nitwit," he said as he punched Han on the elbow. "Don't you know what day it is today?"

"Wednesday?" Han frowned, confused.

"No!" Roshi groaned. "It's May 10! It's your birthday, jackass."

"It's May 10 already?!" Distracted, Han cut his finger instead of the vegetables. He hissed and sucked at the wound automatically.

"My birthday?" Han asked, voice incredulous.

Roshi sighed. "Yeah, you're forty years old. Isn't that nice?"

"I'm _forty_?!"

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I heard forty is the new thirty."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Han complained. "It feels like only yesterday that I got my hitai-ate!"

"We've been active shinobi for nearly thirty years now," Roshi said wistfully. "Two great shinobi wars and too many petty conflicts to count."

"We're at peace now, though," Han replied.

"And how long do you think that'll last?" Roshi snapped.

"I wish I could say the rest of our lives, but..." Han's voice trailed off. He turned his attention back to his task, a frown on his face.

Roshi looked away. He had wanted to celebrate Han's birthday. Instead, they were veering into painful territory. Roshi desired peace, but without conflict, he had no purpose in life. He may as well not exist. _What use is a shinobi without war?_

"Finish your cooking," Roshi said while avoiding Han's eyes. "We'll break open the bottle later."

Han stared in silence at him for a few seconds before he nodded and continued his work, the wound already healed. "It won't take much longer," Han said.

Roshi nodded and left the kitchen to sit down on the sofa. He grabbed a newspaper and opened it to a random page, not reading a single word. War was a touchy subject for both of them. Both of them wanted peace and stability but Roshi didn't think it was possible.

Unable to absorb anything, Roshi put down the newspaper with a sigh. Frustrated, he stared out of the window instead. He couldn't believe it had been five years since he had been forced to comfort a crying little girl.

In those five years, their relationships as jinchuuriki had changed. The children were older and they didn't need as much attention as before. Naruto and Gaara were as close as brothers. Meanwhile, Fuu had taken the role of the older sister astoundingly well.

Almost every night, Yugito gushed about her girlfriend while Utakata listened politely. Yagura wandered through the world, looking for jobs and complaining about his lack of money. Killer B, like Han and Roshi, completed missions for his village as a loyal shinobi. Unlike them, however, he was forbidden from leaving the Land of Lightning.

For the past five years, Roshi had come to treasure that connection more than anything else in his life. It was nice to see Gaara and Naruto grow up. He had gotten used to Fuu babbling for hours about school. He enjoyed talking somewhere removed from the machinations of the greater political systems.

Roshi saw them as the family he never truly had. While they still argued with one another, usually about stupid things, they would do nearly anything for each other. Roshi had grown fond of the other jinchuuriki and by extension, their villages. He didn't want to hurt any of them.

As a shinobi, however, he knew that peace could never last. One day, Onoki or some other idiot would start a war over something petty and Roshi would have to take part in it. He might even be ordered to assassinate another jinchuuriki.

But, if he had to choose between his village and the other jinchuuriki, he already knew his answer. Roshi would always put the other jinchuuriki first. He would kill Onoki with his own hands if necessary.

"Dinner is ready!" Han yelled from the kitchen.

Broken out of the reverie, Roshi noticed that he had been grinding his teeth in frustration. He relaxed his jaw and walked to the table where Han had set their meal out in front of them. Roshi sat down with a grunt, opened the bottle of sake, and poured out two generous portions.

"Happy birthday, Han." Roshi lifted his cup and Han copied the movement. "I'd have brought cake too, but I know you don't like sweets."

"No worries," Han answered, voice calm and collected as usual. "Sake is better. Cheers!"

"Cheers," Roshi copied the toast without a lot of enthusiasm. Thinking about world affairs always brought his mood down.

After the toast, they ate in the comfortable silence that came after years of friendship. Roshi ate automatically. He tasted nothing and tried not to worry about the possibility of war looming over his head.

"If you had to choose between protecting the other jinchuuriki and Iwagakure, what would you choose?" Roshi asked, his heart beating faster inside his chest. He thought he knew Han's answer, but he wanted to make sure.

"The jinchuuriki," Han answered without hesitation.

Roshi sighed in relief and smiled. "Good."

He took another bite of food. That time, he made sure to savor it.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto wished he could stay in the Room full time. In there, Fuu and Gaara played with him. Han, Roshi, and Yagura told him stories. Utakata blew bubbles whenever he asked. Yugito taught him taijutsu stances and B tried to entertain him with rapping.

In the real world, however...

Naruto listened to the whispers as he wandered the streets of Konoha, hands in his pockets. He heard snippets of conversation and frowned.

_The Fourth died because of him... A demon... Not worth it... It's that child..._

Naruto scowled as he passed the crowds. Unlike the eight other people in his head, he had yet to meet anyone who had treated him kindly inside Konoha. However, he knew that despite their words, they would never dare to harm him. He almost wished they would hate him enough to try and hurt him. Being ignored was almost worse.

Ignoring the villagers as best as he could, he arrived at the park and headed to the sandbox. A few young children were pulled away by their parents as he neared. He frowned. _I'm not gonna hurt no one._

With a pout, he sat down on the sand and tried to make a house. However, it kept collapsing. He wished Gaara were there. The other boy was good at building and planning. With Gaara's control over sand, they could make something amazing.

Naruto focused on building. He added windows with his thumbs and used sticks to represent all the nine jinchuuriki. He tried to imagine them all living together under one roof.

He was so focused on his task that he didn't notice a boy walking closer until it was too late. As he placed the longest stick to represent Han on the sand, a sandaled foot stomped on his house, tearing it down.

Shocked, Naruto looked up to see a boy sneering down at him. He didn't know the kid, but he seemed to be at least two years older than Naruto and was a lot taller. Naruto gulped nervously but hid his fear with loud words.

"Hey! What was that!?" he yelled. "I was working on making a house, ya know!"

The kid sneered again. "Like it was anything great! It was so ugly I had to tear it down."

"Ugly?" Naruto repeated with a furious scowl.

"Just like you!" the kid taunted. Naruto tensed despite himself.

Seeing his reaction, the boy sneered at him, glad that his words had some impact. "Maybe that's why you don't have parents," he said. "You were so ugly when you were born that they dumped you in the trash."

"Shut up!" Naruto stood up, but even standing up, the other boy towered over him.

"Or maybe your parents were evil people, and that's why no one wants you around."

"I said shut up!" Naruto yelled in the boy's face as he clenched his fists in anger.

"I bet they just looked at you and decided that they didn't want you at all!" The boy was practically laughing as he watched Naruto's reactions to the bullying.

Naruto felt his body shaking, but he wasn't sure if it was in anger or fear. He knew nothing about his parents. Despite understanding that they were only words, he wondered._ What if he's right? What if my parents didn't want me? What if they hated me?_

Frustrated, Naruto shoved the boy as hard as he could, but the other kid was too big and didn't budge. In relation, the kid pushed him and Naruto fell back hard on the sand. He felt tears in the corners of his eyes. He looked around to see if anyone would help, but the other people in the playground look indifferent at best and outright malicious at worst. Naruto had no allies.

Alone, he stood up and ran away. The boy's cackling followed him, even after he had run far enough away that such a thing wasn't possible.

By the time he returned to the orphanage, his eyes were full of tears. He rubbed at his face furiously and took a deep breath to quiet himself. The people at the home punished him often for being too loud and he didn't want to catch their attention.

Naruto snuck through the entrance and headed to his bedroom. He entered and closed the door gently behind him. He rubbed at his eyes again and sniffled before looking around. His bedroom was small but neat. He had a few picture books and toys to entertain him, although they were old and worn-down.

He collapsed onto the bed and planted his face on the pillow. He had thought about his parents before but the boy's words kept repeating themselves in his mind. _You were so ugly when you were born that they dumped you in the trash._

Naruto laid down on his back to stare up at the ceiling. He shouldn't cry about whatever a random boy said about his parents. Naruto didn't know who they were and he probably never would.

He wiped his nose on his arm and tried to distract himself with his books and toys. It didn't work. His eyes glazed over all the words and drawings and the toys were too boring to keep his attention. He was glad when the caretaker brought dinner for the distraction.

He tried to occupy himself with the food, but for once he wasn't hungry. When the caretaker returned to pick up the dishes, she glared at him for not finishing the meal but said nothing.

Naruto was relieved when it was time for bed. He hoped playing with Fuu and Gaara would distract him from the events of the afternoon.

He was alone when he materialized in the Room, but he knew that the others would join him soon. Feeling safe for the first time in the day, he made the Room create wooden blocks for him and Gaara to play with. He entertained himself by trying to make the tallest tower possible as he waited.

Fuu joined him first, yammering about what she had learned in school and about her friends Hana and Rin. Roshi, predictably, joined them later. He ruffled Naruto's hair and went off by himself to do some sort of stretching exercise. Naruto greeted them with a grin, but he still couldn't get the boy's words out of his mind.

Naruto pretended to be happy as he listened to Fuu's words. However, when he barely responded, she frowned.

"What's wrong, Naruto-chan?" she asked.

"Nothing, Fuu nee-chan," Naruto answered with a smile. "I'm okay."

Fuu continued to look concerned. Nevertheless, she continued to talk and play with Naruto as normal.

Gaara joined them soon afterward. He sat down next to Naruto and the two tried to build a tower together as they listened to Fuu. Like Fuu, Gaara gave Naruto a speculative look and asked if something was wrong.

"Nothing is wrong, ya know!" Naruto reiterated while avoiding their eyes. "I'm just tired."

"You're never tired," Gaara replied as he leaned closer. "We know you're not okay. Did something happen?"

At the question, Naruto looked away and pointedly avoided their gaze. Despite himself, the boy's words repeated themselves over and over in his mind. He burst into tears.

Immediately, he felt Fuu lean forward to hug him. Relieved, he fell into her arms. He hugged her close, burying his face on her shoulder. He felt Gaara's hand on his back. A few seconds later, a warm hand that could only belong to Roshi fell on his head.

"What happened?" Roshi asked worriedly as he squatted down.

"I don't know!" Fuu said, panicked. "Gaara-chan asked if something happened today and he just started crying!"

"Naruto?" Roshi asked and Naruto turned his head to look at Roshi. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

The man had a look of concern in his eyes and Naruto wished he had never burst into tears. It was embarrassing to cry about something as stupid as not knowing who his parents were. But at the moment, he had no choice but to tell them about it.

"My parents never wanted me," Naruto whispered as he rubbed the tears away from his eyes. "This boy said I was so ugly that my parents threw me away because they didn't want me."

After saying those words out loud, Naruto burst into fresh tears once more at the memory.

"Never wanted you?" Roshi asked, sounding shocked. "Kushina always wanted you. I swear, during the months she was pregnant, she always had this big dumb grin on her face whenever I saw her."

"Kushina?" Naruto asked. The name sounded familiar, and he thought Fuu had mentioned her before a few times. "Who's Kushina?"

"You don't know who Kushina is?!" Fuu asked, scandalized at Naruto's ignorance.

Naruto shook his head. "Is she important?"

Roshi and Fuu shared shocked expressions as if Naruto should definitely know about Kushina. Gaara, at least, looked just as confused as Naruto felt.

"That's outrageous, Mama!" Fuu shouted as her hug over Naruto tightened. "You mean no one has ever said anything about Kushina to him?!"

"Kushina is your mom, Naruto," Roshi said while scratching the back of his neck. "I guess we never really talked about her to you, huh? I just assumed the people of Konoha told you about her..."

Naruto froze and he stared at Fuu and Roshi as they gave him apologetic looks. "My mom? You knew my mom?"

Roshi snorted. "Knew her? She was a jinchuuriki too. I didn't talk to her a lot, but we exchanged recipes sometimes. She used to take care of Fuu when she was very little."

"She was like a mom to me, Naruto-chan," Fuu explained. "She was also really cool and super strong."

"Cool?" Naruto asked.

"Strong?" Gaara asked.

Roshi nodded. With a sigh, he sat down cross-legged on the floor. Naruto couldn't help but get excited._ Roshi's gonna tell us a story!_

"I knew your mother, Naruto, and she was a great shinobi," he said. "She loved you so much even before you were born."

"She... she did?"

"Yeah, Naruto-chan! Kushina was so cool! I can't believe no one has told you anything about her!" Fuu nodded and grinned at Naruto.

"You mean, you can't believe we forgot to tell him about it," Roshi commented.

"You look so much like her," Fuu continued, ignoring Roshi's comment.

"Very similar in personality too," Roshi added.

"And my father?" Naruto asked. At the question, Fuu and Roshi traded worried glances.

"I don't know about your father, Naruto," Roshi admitted. "Kushina never said anything about him. But I knew her well enough to know that she would never have a child with any old loser."

"I'm sure your father was an amazing man," Fuu added in agreement.

"Do you want me to tell you about her?" Roshi asked kindly.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, and he settled down to listen. Gaara had to leave soon after, but he gave Naruto a hug that lasted longer than usual before disappearing. At his departure, they moved to sit by Gaara's Door. With Gaara listening in, Fuu and Roshi told them stories about an amazing red-headed woman.

Naruto absorbed all the details desperately. She had loved ramen a lot. She had liked to cook. She had been an accomplished shinobi. She had known a lot about fuuinjutsu. However, the most important detail, was how much she had loved Naruto, even before he was born.

Later, once he left the Room, he dreamed of a beautiful woman with long red hair.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara stared at the picture of his mother on the table. She was smiling at the camera, eyes kind.

Fuu had known her mother before becoming a jinchuuriki. Naruto, while he had also never gotten to meet his mother, at least had stories from Roshi and Fuu. Yashamaru had told him about his mother, but Gaara wanted to know more.

Gaara looked down at the knife in his hand. Earlier, he had hurt a girl when Shukaku's power had gotten out of control. He would have killed her if Yashamaru hadn't stopped him, but he had only hurt his uncle instead.

Gaara took the knife and tried to stab his arm. Predictably, the sand stopped the self-inflicted wound. His skin was left unmarred. _The sand always gets in the way._

"Gaara-sama." Gaara heard Yashamaru's voice calling out from behind him. He turned around to look at his uncle.

"Yashamaru!" Despite the situation, Gaara tried to smile.

"I know I don't look it," Yashamaru said, "but Kazekage-sama entrusted me with being your caretaker. Please stop that behavior under my care." Gaara looked away, upset at being reminded of his loss of control earlier. "But then again, the sand always protects you."

Gaara glanced up at his uncle and looked at the bandages on his head and arms. They looked painful and Gaara swallowed nervously before talking. "Yashamaru, I'm sorry."

"Oh, this?" Yashamaru pointed to the bandages and smiled. "They're just scratches."

"Does it hurt a lot?" he asked.

"Just a little. But I'll heal over time."

Despite his words, however, Gaara noticed that his movements were slower than usual. He remembered when his father had crushed him under tons of golden sand. The pain haunted him even after many years.

Gaara shifted his feet. He wondered if his uncle resented him for hurting him.

"Hey, Yashamaru," he began.

"Yes?"

"Do you... hate me for hurting you?" Gaara clenched his hands into fists, afraid of his answer.

Yashamaru smiled again before he answered. "People will hurt others and get hurt themselves in life. But not everyone hates each other just because of that. It's just that everyone else is hurt more easily than you, Gaara-sama."

Gaara nodded. "Maybe I'm always injured too, like everyone else. I'm always in pain... It doesn't bleed, but it really hurts around here."

Gaara clenched one hand over his chest. Every time he couldn't block out Shukaku or whenever his father rejected him, the feeling intensified. It hurt in a different from getting crushed by sand, but that pain was always there.

Yashamaru gave him an indecipherable look before he took the knife in Gaara's hand. Gaara gasped when Yashamaru made a small cut on the tip of his finger.

"External wounds can bleed and look painful," Yashamaru said. "But as time goes by, the pain eventually disappears. And if you use medicine, it heals even faster. But what's trickier is a wounded heart. There's nothing more difficult to heal."

"A wounded heart?" Gaara frowned as he looked up at his uncle.

"It's a bit different from a normal wound," Yashamaru explained. "Unlike an injury to the body, if you don't treat it, sometimes it can never heal." Yashamaru got a faraway look in his eyes. "But there is one thing that can fix a wounded heart. The only thing is, it can only be given to you by someone else."

"What kind of medicine is it?" Gaara asked curiously. Whatever that medicine was, he wished to have it.

"The only thing that can help a wounded heart..." Yashamaru looked at the picture of his mother and smiled before answering, "is love."

"Love?" Gaara repeated curiously. Fuu and Naruto always used that word, often in connection to him. They told him they loved him, although he wasn't exactly sure what it meant.

Seeing his confusion, Yashamaru smiled and explained. "Love is devoting yourself to someone important to you by caring for and protecting them," he said. "Just like my sister. I believe that she always loved you, Gaara-sama. The Shukaku of the Sand is a destructive demon by nature. When the sand protects you, that's your mother's love. I think that your mother's will is carried in the sand. My sister probably wanted to protect you, even after her death."

Yashamaru kept his gaze focused on the picture of Gaara's mother. Gaara looked at her as well, wondering what she was like. Fuu and Naruto's mothers had loved them a lot, so it made sense that his mother loved him too. The thought warmed him up inside.

If love meant caring for and protecting important people, then he had more than enough. He had Fuu, Naruto, Han, Roshi, and all the other jinchuuriki. They comforted him whenever Shukaku tried to take control. They also helped him whenever he needed. _That probably means that they love me._

The other people of Suna might be terrified of him, but he had Yashamaru. Even if Yashamaru was the only person in Sunagakure who cared for him, then he would try to protect the village.

Gaara tore his eyes away from the picture to look at his uncle. "Yashamaru," he said.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for stopping me before," Gaara said.

Yashamaru smiled and sucked on his bleeding finger. "I did it because you're an important person to me, Gaara-sama."

Gaara smiled and helped Yashamaru bandage the wound. He helped look for an ointment to give to the girl he had hurt earlier. After that, his uncle left, wishing him luck.

He wanted to go to the girl's home immediately and apologize, but there was something that he needed to do first. Naruto and Fuu should already be in the Room and they worried whenever he didn't appear.

Gaara sat down and leaned against the wall of his bedroom. After years of practice, he could enter the Room almost immediately. He could also stay as long as twenty minutes without issue. He hoped that in the future he would be able to stay there for longer.

When he appeared in the Room, Fuu, Naruto, and Roshi were already there. They were all standing on one leg and concentrating on their balance. Naruto trembled and fell over once he saw Gaara.

"Gaara! Gaara!" he shouted with a grin on his face. "We're having a competition to see who can stand on one leg for longer. I would've won, but you distracted me, ya know!"

Naruto pouted and ran to Gaara, pulling him by the hand to join their circle of jinchuuriki.

"Hi, Gaara-chan!" Fuu said cheerfully. Like Naruto, she shook as she tried to stand on one leg, but she didn't fall over. "I'd give you a hug, but I wanna win!"

Roshi snorted. "As if you have any chance, kid. You can't beat the master." Unlike Fuu or Naruto, Roshi was balanced perfectly on his foot. He looked down at the three children, completely unphased by the test.

Roshi turned his head to looked at Gaara. "Hey, kid, nice that you could make it. Wanna try?"

Gaara nodded his head enthusiastically. "Sure, Mama! It looks fun!"

Gaara tried to balance on one leg as long as he could. However, like Naruto, he stumbled quickly and soon after, Fuu joined him on the floor.

Roshi was the only one left standing, a smirk on his lips and a pleased blush on his face. "I told you I would win," he said. "I've been doing this for longer than you kids have been alive."

He finally put both feet on the ground and bent down to ruffle Gaara's hair. "So how are you, kid? Is everything okay?"

Gaara gave a noncommittal shrug. He wished he hadn't hurt the girl earlier and lost control, but at least he had learned about love.

"I'm okay, I guess," he answered. "But I do have a question for you."

"Oh? What's that?" Roshi gave him a curious glance.

Gaara shifted his feet nervously. He knew that he loved the other jinchuuriki and he would protect them as well as a six-year-old could. However, he wasn't sure if they felt the same way towards him. He took a deep breath to gather his resolve.

"Yashamaru told me something important today," he began, shuffling his feet.

"Important?" Fuu asked from where she sat cross-legged on the ground.

Gaara nodded. "He told me that love is devoting yourself to someone important to you. That it means caring for them and protecting them," he said. "I... care about you a lot... and... I was wondering if you felt the same way."

When he finished speaking, Fuu and Naruto blinked. Before he could react, they jumped forward to hug him. Gaara flinched at the sudden contact but wrapped his arms around them anyway.

"Of course we love you!" Fuu shouted in his ear. "How could we not? You're so cute and smart and adorable and... and... great... and..."

"You're so cool, Gaara!" Naruto shouted from his other ear. "I wish we lived together. I love you, too!"

Gaara felt Roshi's hand on top of his head.

"So love means to protect the people important to you, huh?" Roshi said. "If so, then I guess I do love you, Gaara-chan. You're important to me."

"Oh," Gaara said, eyes looking down. He was overwhelmed with the love he was receiving and he didn't understand how to reply. _It's so easy.._.

"Oh, and before you ask, I think the others feel the same way," Roshi said. "Even though they might not say anything, I know that B, Yugito, Yagura, Han, and Utakata also like you. They think you're cute, at the very least."

"He's not cute!" Fuu protested. "He's adorable!"

"Gaara-chan is super cool!" Naruto added as his grip on Gaara tightened. Gaara felt the air leave his lungs. "I'll beat up anyone who says he's not!"

Roshi snorted. "You're just a kid, Naruto. I think Gaara can handle himself. Isn't that right, Gaara?"

Gaara nodded enthusiastically. He hugged Fuu and Naruto one last time before breaking the embrace. He beamed at the other jinchuuriki and they returned his smile with fond looks.

"Thanks, I love you too," he said before turning his gaze back to Roshi. "Mama, how much time has it been?"

Roshi sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Around ten minutes since you came in," he answered. "We can play a game before you leave."

Gaara nodded eagerly. The four jinchuuriki spent the next ten minutes trying to see who could keep their eyes open the longest. To everyone's shock, Naruto won. He gloated by jumping and dancing around the Room.

Not much later, Gaara had to leave, and he said his goodbyes. He wished he could stay longer, but he also wanted to apologize to the girl he had hurt earlier.

He appeared in his bedroom and saw the paper bag with the ointment inside. Eager and excited, he jumped up and ran out of the house, carrying the medicine in his arms like a treasure. After his conversations with Yashamaru and the jinchuuriki, nothing could ruin the rest of the night.

Gaara arrived at the girl's home and knocked on the front door. The girl opened the door a crack and glared at him. Gaara tried not to let it deter him and he smiled nervously.

"I'm... sorry I hurt you earlier," he said.

"What do you want?" the girl frowned at him but Gaara tried to keep himself calm.

"I brought you some medicine," he said. "It's an ointment that is supposed to-"

Before he could finish explaining himself, the girl slammed the door on his face. "Go away, you freak!" she shouted as she closed the door.

Shocked, the bag fell through his fingers onto the ground. He didn't bother to pick it up before turning around to walk back home.

_Why? Why is everyone in Sunagakure like this? Why can't I live with the jinchuuriki instead?_

Shukaku's voice, which had been quiet for the past few hours, resurfaced.

_**'That's because you're a little monster and freak. That girl wasn't lying. Now, give me blood. Those little scratches you put on your uncle are not enough to keep me away for long.'**_

Gaara pushed the voice away as well as he could. However, the hatred of the Shukaku followed him everywhere. He bit his lip and walked back home, trying to ignore his bijuu's insistent whispers as he looked down at the ground.

On his way home, a man bumped into him.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you brat!" the man shouted, a bottle of sake grasped in one hand. The man turned around to yell some more but stopped himself when he saw Gaara. "Wait, no, you're..."

_Why? That look again?_ Before he could control the urge, sand floated up and headed toward the man. The sand encased him, weighing him down and crushing him to death.

Gaara stared at the corpse numbly. In the back of his mind, he heard Shukaku snickering in happiness, content with the blood sacrifice. He tried to ignore it, but a content bijuu was much better than an enraged one.

He stared at the corpse again as the voice of Shukaku receded into his subconscious. He should feel sad, but he couldn't make himself care about anyone in Suna anymore. He could only trust the other jinchuuriki and Yashamaru. Only Yashamaru.

Gaara kept walking, hearing the murmurs of the other villagers from behind him. He didn't know if he should care what they said or not. All he wanted was to go home.

On his way, he almost bumped into another man leaning against a wall. Curious, he looked up and saw his father, frowning disapprovingly down at him. Despite his earlier numbness, Gaara couldn't help but flinch and look away. Immediately, Shukaku laughed wickedly at his discomfort. Gaara tried to push it away again.

The Kazekage said nothing and instead watched in silence as Gaara walked past to head home. A few minutes later, Gaara sat on the roof of his home, looking up at the full moon.

_I guess it's just not possible. Why am I such a monster? What am I?_ Gaara looked down at his hands and frowned. He hoped that one day more than just the jinchuuriki and Yashamaru would care about him.

Gaara was so lost in his thoughts that he only noticed the attack when the sand rose to protect him. He gasped and spun around to see a man wearing a veil over his face throwing kunai at him.

_Why? Why is it always me?!_

Gaara snarled. He forced the sand to obey him. With a swish of his hand, the sand rushed forward, crushing the man with a terrible sound.

"Who are you? Why...?" Nervously, he took the veil and pulled it away from the man's face.

"As I expected, Gaara-sama," Yashamaru said in a strained voice, blood dripping from his face.

"Yashamaru!" Gaara fell onto his knees and burst into tears. He clutched his chest in pain as he sobbed onto the floor. Shukaku was screaming delightedly in the back of his mind, but Gaara couldn't make sense of its words.

"Why? Why? Yashamaru, why would you...? How come? Tell me!"

Gaara remembered Yashamaru's words from earlier in the day. _Was I not important after all?_

"I always... always... thought that you... But..." Gaara tried to get the words out, but his mind was too panicked to be coherent.

Yashamaru glanced at him wearily before talking. "It was an order. I was ordered to kill you. By your father... Kazekage-sama."

"Father did...?" at those words, Gaara lost the contents of his stomach and he only cried harder._ I saw Father earlier, and he said nothing to me._ "Why would Father want to...? Want me...?"

"You were born with the Shukaku of the Sand and raised as a guinea pig, Gaara-sama," Yashamaru explained, his voice strained from the blood in his lungs. "But since you couldn't control the power of the demon, the sand, it was decided that one day you'd become a problem too dangerous for the village to handle. So I was sent-"

"So father forced you to do this, didn't he, Yashamaru?" Gaara interrupted, and he smiled in relief.

"No, you're wrong," Yashamaru answered and Gaara's heart skipped a beat. "It's true that Kazekage-sama ordered me to, but I could have refused if I wished to. Gaara-sama, deep down inside, I've always... hated you. You took the life of my beloved sister when you were born."

Gaara flinched back at the words as he let Yashamaru continue talking. "In her memory... I desperately tried to love you by thinking of you as her precious child... but I just couldn't. My sister never wanted you to be born. She became this village's sacrifice and died cursing it to her final breath. Since then, my heart has been permanently wounded."

Yashamaru took a shaky breath as he turned his gaze away from Gaara. "My sister said this when you were born: 'This child's name is Gaara, a demon that loves only himself. He will never give love to anyone else. And he shall fight only for himself. That is how he will continue his existence.'"

Gaara trembled as he waited for Yashamaru to finish talking. He had believed his mother had loved him but it had all been a lie. "But your mother didn't give you this name out of love or concern. She gave it to you so you could keep living. Because she wanted her hatred to remain in this village that she hated and cursed as she died. To punish everyone. You were never loved."

Gaara grasped his forehead with the palms of his hands and cried, his head on his knees. He wanted to deny everything and believe that his mother truly loved him. However, the evidence that she didn't was in front of him. Naruto and Fuu's mothers might have loved them, but not Gaara. Never Gaara.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that Yashamaru had opened up his vest. His chest was covered in exploding tags but Gaara was too shocked to consider moving.

"This is it," Yashamaru murmured, voice cold. "Please die."

The tags exploded all at once, but, predictably, the sand jumped in front, shielding him from the blast. When the explosion died down, Gaara was alone on the roof, his head on his knees as he sobbed.

_I'm all alone._

_**'Yes, you are, little boy. Now, let me out. I know you want to destroy this village as much as I do.'**_

_'But... I…'_

Gaara forced himself to swallow and think. Shukaku was wrong. He wasn't alone. He had Naruto and Fuu to play with. He had Han and Roshi to tell him stories. He had Yugito, Killer B, and Utakata to teach him. He had Yagura to tell him about the world outside of Suna.

_'No. No, I'm not alone.'_

_**'Yes, you are! Now, let me out!' **_Shukaku shrieked.

Gaara looked at the sand and what remained of Yashamaru. The only thing he wanted was to be somewhere safe.

He knew that Shukaku would come out, but he didn't care anymore. The village was worthless. The bijuu could destroy it. It meant nothing anymore.

Gaara heard a delighted laugh from Shukaku as he allowed the bijuu to take control. He concentrated and when he blinked, he was inside the Room. To his surprise, all the other jinchuuriki were there, looking anxious about something. They turned to stare at him, freezing as they saw the tears in his eyes.

"Gaara-chan!" Han reacted first. He leaped forward to kneel in front of him. "What happened? Are you all right?"

Gaara shook his head. Before he could answer, Han picked him up into his arms. Gaara wrapped his arms around Han's neck, where he buried his face and burst into fresh tears. Keeping his hold tight, Han carried him back to where the other jinchuuriki were fretting anxiously.

"Something happened," Yagura said. "I felt it, even while I was asleep."

"Are you okay, kid?" Yugito asked with her arms crossed over her chest. Despite her deliberate calm, her eyebrows were furrowed in worry.

"No," Gaara answered through his sobbing. "I killed my uncle. I'm alone now."

Gaara felt Han tense at the words but the man didn't drop him and instead placed a reassuring hand on his back. Gaara wrapped his arms tighter around his neck in comfort.

"Han, you're too tall!" Roshi complained. "We can't comfort Gaara if you keep holding him up!"

Han sighed and he sat down cross-legged on the floor. Immediately, Gaara felt Fuu and Naruto join at his sides.

"I'm sorry, Gaara-chan," Fuu said. "But you're not alone! We're here!"

Naruto nodded furiously. "Yeah, what she said! You're not alone as long as you got us, ya know!"

The other jinchuuriki spoke to him one by one, trying to offer some comfort. Despite the situation, Gaara wanted to smile. They were his real family, more than his father or even Yashamaru.

Eventually, his crying petered out. Slightly calmer, he looked around the Room at the assembled jinchuuriki. He wiped his face with his forearm.

"Thank you," he whispered as he looked down at the floor.

"You're welcome!" Naruto shouted happily and beamed before throwing his arms around Gaara in a hug. "And one day we're gonna live together, ya know!"

"Together?" Gaara asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! All of us in one house together! It's gonna be great! We can share a room and eat ramen together! And when Fuu gets home from school, we'll be there to say hello to her!"

"All of us?"

"Yeah, that'll be amazing!" Fuu said. "We can all live in one house together!"

"Do you think so?" Gaara asked, daring to get his hopes up. "Do you promise?"

"I promise," Naruto and Fuu said at the same time.

Gaara smiled. It sounded almost too good to be true. "I'm looking forward to it," he said.

Now that Yashamaru was dead, he knew that he would never receive any kind of love from anyone in Sunagakure. He had to leave the village as soon as he could, no matter the cost.

"Just remember, Gaara," Roshi said. Gaara turned to look up at him. "Don't let your father extract your bijuu. If he does, you die."

At the stark reminder, a chill ran down Gaara's spine. He nodded seriously. He would wait until the time was right. He was glad that he had the other jinchuuriki to guide him until that time came. He wouldn't be alone. The thought comforted him and he left the safety of Han's lap to stand up.

Gaara sighed. He needed to keep Shukaku under control as much as he could. Unfortunately, that meant leaving the Room. He didn't want his father to use the Gold Dust to crush him again.

Gaara turned to look at the gathered jinchuuriki. They gave him encouraging smiles. Gaara swallowed, feeling something lodged in his throat._ So this is what receiving true love feels like._

He returned their smiles shakily and forced himself to leave the Room and wake up.

When he opened his eyes to the real world, he was on the roof of a different building. He looked around the village. He saw devastation everywhere, no doubt from when Shukakaku was released. He wanted to feel sorry for the destruction, but he couldn't and he didn't want to. He almost wished he had been sleeping longer. The village might have been completely leveled if he had. _But I can't risk my father hurting the others again._

His father... no, the Kazekage stood on another roof. His eyes had rings around them. However, the marks disappeared when he saw that Gaara was awake and conscious once more.

Gaara glared at the Kazekage coldly. He had ruined not only his life but also the life of his mother and uncle. He hated the man more than he had hated anyone else. He wanted to kill him, but he couldn't. Gaara was not strong enough. Yet.

He scrunched up his face and growled at the man before turning around and heading home. One day Gaara would leave and never come back. _One day that man will die._

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: If Roshi were a Brooklynn 99 inspired quote, he would be "I've known these children for a few years, and if anything happened to them, I would kill everyone in the world and then myself."**

**If you wish to get in contact with me, my username on Tumblr is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Naruto meets an old man.**


	13. New Connections

**In which Yagura finds a lead, Gaara plays with sand, and Naruto meets an old man.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yagura stared at the corpse. He saw a criminal who had prowled the roads, stealing from merchants that traveled on the road. A few of his victims had banded together to place a small bounty on him. Yagura was eternally grateful for the extra source of income.

He sighed and opened an empty sealing scroll. With a burst of chakra, the corpse disappeared. Yagura took the scroll and put it inside his knapsack. He leaped up onto a tree. From there, he traveled through the canopy to the drop-off center.

Living a secret life as a hidden Mizukage was not as fun as he had expected. For years, Yagura had been searching for intel on the mercenary group. He had tried making connections with the criminal underworld, but success eluded him.

He rarely had enough money to eat, most nights he slept outside, and even when he earned money, he ran out in days. He wanted to take high-paying bounties. However, an outstanding ninja stood out more than a mediocre one. He almost regretted faking his own death. On cold and rainy nights, he wondered if he should have let Mei kill him.

He arrived at the bounty station within minutes. He passed through the hidden security checkpoint and descended into the morgue. Zangei, the bounty exchange master, knew Yagura under his alias of Akio, a mediocre missing-nin from Kirigakure. _Akio is not much good in a fight, though._

Annoyed, he grumbled to himself about how much money Zangei would withhold. Before he could talk to the man, however, he entered the morgue to an unusual sight. As expected Zangei was there. However, next to Zangei was a tall man wearing a black cloak with red clouds embroidered on them. His pulse quickened. _Just like the guy that brainwashed me._

Yagura stepped forward, making himself look curious instead of excited. He glanced at the corpse on the table. To his surprise, the dead body wore the same outfit as the tall man, although his robes were bloodied and mangled.

At his approach, both men turned. Yagura froze where he stood. The man was very tall and wore a Takigakure hitai-ate on his forehead. The hitai-ate was scratched through the middle, proudly declaring himself a missing-nin.

"What are you looking at, old man?" the man muttered when he saw Yagura.

_I don't know if I prefer to be called an old man or a little kid._

"N-Nothing," Yagura said, forcing his voice to sound nervous. "I just came here to collect my bounty."

At his words, the man's eyes narrowed and he looked at Yagura in suspicion. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"

"I-I think I would have remembered if we did." Yagura made himself look down at his feet in a nervous gesture. Despite his demeanor, he kept his gaze focused on the man from the corner of his eye.

The man's eyes narrowed further and he stepped forward to stand in front of Yagura. He bent down and stared into Yagura's face, trying to analyze him. Yagura forced himself to tremble and flinch back at his approach, wanting to appear like a scared old man. With the enemy in front of him, he also took the opportunity to examine the man.

Up close, he saw that only the man's green eyes and hands were visible. His fingernails were painted a dark brown color. On his left middle finger, he wore a dark green ring carved with the kanji for "North." Because of the mask and robe, he couldn't get a perfect impression on the man, but it was enough.

Yagura waited for the man to speak again, making himself look small and terrified.

The man narrowed his eyes once more before he snorted and stood up straight. "Just an old man about to piss himself."

"W-What did you mean I looked f-familiar?" he asked nervously.

"You look like someone I'm looking for, that's all," he answered. "Where are you from?"

"Ki-Kirigakure."

The man grunted. "I'm looking for a man from Iwa. You two have almost the exact same face."

Yagura's pulse quickened. He has been using Roshi as his disguise ever since he left the Land of Water. _This mercenary is looking for Roshi. But why? For the money or for something else? I need to tread carefully._

Yagura swallowed and stepped forward, making his voice shake in terror. "W-well, I'm not a very strong shinobi," he lied, "but I'm good at gathering intel. Maybe we can work together?"

"I don't work with anyone," the man replied immediately. "Look at the corpse on the counter. We were partners, but I killed him anyway. I will only say this once. Don't get in my way or next time we meet, your body will be on the table instead."

With those parting words, he turned back to collect his prize. Zangei held out a wad of cash, which the mercenary took without a word. The man counted the money, nodded, and left the room, not looking back. Yagura's sigh of relief was only partially faked.

Ever since the fight with Mei, his left arm didn't work as well as it used to. He thought he had a strong chance of winning, but in a battle, victory was never guaranteed. He could always get help from Isobu, but then he would lose his cover.

"Well, that was scary," he commented to Zangei as he walked to the next empty examination table.

Zangei snorted. "That was nothing. He was in a good mood today because he collected his partner's bounty. If he had been in a bad mood, you would have already been ground into a paste."

"Who is he?" Yagura asked with a shudder.

Zangei's eyes narrowed. "I don't talk about my business partners," he said, voice suspicious. "And I especially don't talk about them to mediocre shinobi."

Yagura gulped in an effort to look contrite but he wanted to sing and dance instead. _This guy is a big deal and a frequent customer for you. I just need to figure out who he is and then I can track him down._

"O-Okay," Yagura stuttered before changing the topic. He had an act to keep up and Zangei would not help him. _There's a certain code of conduct in the criminal world, too._ "I brought someone for you."

Yagura opened the scroll on top of the empty table. With a burst of chakra, the bandit's body appeared amidst a cloud of smoke. Zangei stepped forward to inspect the body. He opened the mouth, measured the height, and looked into its eyes. Finally, with a satisfied nod, he met Yagura's eyes.

"This is the right one," Zangei said. "Take your money."

Overjoyed, Yagura accepted his payment. It wasn't much, but he should be able to sleep at an inn for a few nights at least.

"Thank you," Yagura said in a meek voice as he placed the cash into his knapsack.

Zangei nodded. With that, their business transaction ended. Yagura left the morgue, passed through the toilets, and arrived outside. The sunny day stood in stark contrast with what was happening underneath. Yagura almost wanted to laugh at the difference.

Sending chakra to his feet, Yagura climbed up onto the canopy of the trees once again. With the money in his pocket, he could afford a night or two with a roof over his head.

Yagura arrived at a small town and looked for an inn. He rented a room, heading to the hot springs immediately after checking in. He soaked in the hot water as he made plans. The safety of his village and the other jinchuuriki depended upon it.

_First, I need to warn Roshi about the man. Second, I need to figure out the identity of this man._

When night finally came, Yagura collapsed upon the futon in relief. His back had started aching recently. He wasn't sure if that came from sleeping outside or from getting older. He tried not to worry about it.

He took a deep breath to relax and within seconds, his mind led him into the Room. He arrived at the perfect time because Roshi was already there. The other man was doing a taijutsu kata while Fuu and Naruto played. All three of them turned to look at Yagura with grins on their faces. Yagura returned their smiles. _It's nice to be wanted for a change._

"Hello, Yagura-san!" Fuu and Naruto said at the same time as they waved their arms enthusiastically at him.

"Hello, Fuu-chan, Naruto-chan."

Yagura stepped forward to watch what they were doing. They were competing to see who could jump higher. Fuu was the obvious winner but Naruto kept trying and failing, stubborn as always. Yagura sighed at their inane argument before he walked to Roshi's side.

"Roshi."

"Yagura." Roshi raised a curious brow at the look on Yagura's face. The other man could tell that something serious had happened. He stopped the exercise. Roshi and Yagura were left looking at each other.

"Did something happen?" Roshi asked, his voice quiet and serious.

"You could say that," Yagura answered with a sigh. "I might have found a lead on the organization that put the genjutsu on me."

Roshi frowned and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Tell me."

At that, Yagura recounted the story, from the moment he first captured his bounty to checking in at the inn. He described the tall man he saw, recalling every detail. Roshi frowned as he told the story, only interrupting to ask clarification questions.

When Yagura finished talking, the two men stood together in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Roshi's frown deepened, and he glared at Yagura.

"Yagura..." Roshi began, his arms crossed in front of his chest and furious frown on his face.

"What is it?" Yagura looked at his friend with one eyebrow raised, not sure why Roshi would have such a murderous look in his eye.

"Have you been using my face to disguise yourself?!" Roshi snarled. "Why didn't you ask for permission first?"

Yagura looked away in embarrassment and scratched his chin. "Well, when you put it that way..."

"What have you been doing with my body?!"

"Nothing!" Yagura insisted before considering the question. "I mean, I guess I went to a brothel with it..."

"A brothel?!" Roshi shouted and the children turn to look at him. Roshi flinched. "A brothel?" he whispered, but the children were already looking in their direction curiously.

"Look..." Yagura tried to explain himself, but he only felt like he was digging his own grave deeper. "I took your face and body, but I changed the hair color! That counts for something!"

"Well, why didn't you disguise yourself as Han, then?!" Roshi demanded to know. "Or Utakata-kun! Or B-san or Yugito-san?!"

Yagura snorted. "Because you're the only person I know who's barely taller than me and it's weird to be too tall," Yagura explained. "Also, when I visited the brothel, I needed an adult body. I had to look like an old man to blend in and avoid suspicion."

"So you're saying I look like a dirty old man?!" Roshi asked with a growl. Yagura wished he had chosen someone else as a disguise. _I think Roshi is forgetting the context here._

"No, I just-" before Yagura had the chance to defend himself, Fuu stepped forward between them, an angry frown on her face. Naruto tagged along behind her.

"Mama! Yagura-san!" she shouted. "Stop fighting!"

At the look on her face, Roshi relaxed, and he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, butterfly. But we're not fighting. Just a little argument between friends. It happens."

Yagura breathed a sigh of relief. Roshi would do anything for the kids and thankfully Fuu's interruption had calmed the other man down. Yagura looked down at Fuu. The girl was young, but she _was _from Takigakure.

"Hey, Fuu-chan," Yagura said and Fuu looked up at him curiously. "Do you think you could help me with something?"

"With what, Yagura-san?" Fuu asked.

Her orange eyes turned to him, full of excitement and innocence. Yagura felt a stab through the heart that felt a lot like guilt at making a little girl do his dirty work. He stamped the feeling down.

"I met a man who was a missing-nin from Takigakure," Yagura explained. "Do you think you could help me figure out who he is?"

At that, Yagura described the man, trying to not leave any detail out. If anyone knew or could figure out who he was, it was Fuu. However, Fuu was still only an Academy student. When he finished describing the missing-nin, she shook her head.

"Sorry, Yagura-san," she answered. "That doesn't sound familiar."

Yagura tried not to feel disappointed.

"But..." Fuu scratched her chin in thought. "I might be able to find out."

Yagura tried not to get his hopes up. "Really, kid?"

Fuu nodded happily. "Yeah! It might take me a while though," she said. "I can't go to the shinobi library to look it up yet."

"That's okay, kid," Yagura said. "Take all the time you need."

Fuu beamed up at him and pulled on his hand. Yagura's heart sunk into his stomach. Ever since he told her about his power to make coral, she had insisted that Yagura made interesting playgrounds for them to play on.

He sighed and allowed her to lead him away. He spent the next few hours making complex mazes of coral and trying not to feel used.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara was getting tired of assassination attempts. After the first failure from Yashamaru, he had already prevented four others.

The attempts only cemented his hatred toward his father and the village. He wished he were strong enough to leave, but, as Han insisted, he was only six years old. Even if he managed to escape the village, trying to make his way in the world would be impossible. He had to wait until he was older and stronger.

For that, he needed full control over the sand. He had always had some amount of power over it, able to shape it how he saw fit. However, like Shukaku, it was unwieldy and sensitive to Gaara's emotional state.

His solution was to let go of all feelings in order to obtain full control. While the method worked and the sand now obeyed, it had only made the people of Suna more terrified. They had already seen him as a monster. Now that he never smiled, laughed, cried, or frowned, their fear had only intensified.

Gaara didn't care anymore. He had the other jinchuuriki. He had the Room. In there, he could be as emotional as he wanted. He didn't need to keep everything bottled up inside.

Gaara willed the sand to transform itself into a house. Shukaku fought, but without emotions to feed it, Gaara had full control for once. Within seconds, he had a miniature model at his feet.

He stared at the finished project without blinking. _My control is already a lot better._

With a swipe of his hand, the house disappeared and melted into the ground. Gaara took in a deep breath and thought about what to make next._ Can I make a miniature version of Suna?_

Curious, Gaara extended his hands forward. He was ready to force the village walls to appear when he felt a presence behind him. He waited, but when no one attacked, he relinquished control and turned around.

"Gaara-sama," a man wearing the Sunagakure ANBU uniform said. Despite the ANBU training, Gaara could hear the slight tremble of fear in the man's voice.

"What is it?" Gaara asked, his face a neutral mask.

"Your father has asked me to summon you," the ANBU answered.

Despite his practice, the sand responded as Gaara felt a strong surge of hatred and fury. He clenched his fists to keep himself calm. After a deep breath, the sand settled and he looked at the agent in front of him unblinkingly.

"What does he want?" he asked.

"I have been instructed you summon you, Gaara-sama," the ANBU answered. "I do not know what he has in mind."

Gaara nodded. "Fine," he said.

With a breath of relief he could hear from behind the mask, the ANBU turned around. Without looking back, he led him out of the training area behind his house. Gaara followed dutifully, keeping his distance from the man in front of him.

They arrived at the office of the Kazekage minutes later. The Kazekage sat behind the desk, glaring at Gaara. Gaara tried to pretend the man in front of him was not his father. He forced himself to breathe out so that the sand wouldn't react to the instinct to attack.

"Gaara," the Kazekage said, arms folded on top of his desk.

"Father," Gaara answered, his tongue burning as he wished he didn't have to keep up the charade. _Han is more of a father than you will ever be._

"I've noticed you have gained better control over your sand abilities," Rasa commented. He did not remove his gaze from Gaara.

"I have." Gaara clenched and unclenched a fist.

"Good," Rasa said. "I believe you are ready to start more regimented training for shinobi life."

"Training?" Gaara asked, curious despite himself.

"I have assigned someone to be your personal tutor," Rasa answered and he stood up to glare down at Gaara. "You will listen to everything he says, am I to be understood?"

"Yes, Father," Gaara answered immediately.

"Good, in that case, let me introduce you."

At those words, a new man appeared. Gaara's first impression was that the man was tall, only a few inches shorter than Killer B. He had two red markings on his right cheek and hid the left side of his face with a sheet that hung from his turban. He wore the standard uniform for a Suna-nin and donned the Suna hitai-ate on his forehead.

The man looked down at Gaara, appearing nervous to be with his new charge. Gaara blinked up at him coldly.

"His name is Baki," Rasa explained. "He will teach you about becoming a shinobi. You will listen and obey him."

"Nice to meet you, Gaara-sama," Baki said.

He bowed down. Gaara blinked. He was impressed. Hardly anyone was ever brave enough to come near him, let alone put themselves in a weak position. The man might have been the bravest potential assassin he'd met so far.

"Nice to meet you too, Baki," Gaara replied formally.

At his words, the man straightened. He looked down at Gaara with fearful eyes. The man might be an assassin, waiting for the best moment to strike. However, Gaara had nothing to lose and a lot to gain by learning ninjutsu.

Baki might try to kill him one day. Gaara would wait and see.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto tried to lean back and relax as he balanced precariously on the branch.

However, he couldn't relax. The branches dug into his back, making him fidget. Ants scurried and had already bitten him many times. The leaves got into his eyes and made his entire face itch. _Why does Fuu like doing this?_

Despite his discomfort, Naruto laid down and tried to meditate like Gaara. However, instead of relaxing, he could only think about his life.

Ever since Fuu and Roshi told him about his mother, Naruto hadn't allowed anyone else to make fun of his parents. He ignored the ugly words and enjoyed their looks of bewilderment whenever other kids tried to bully him. No matter how much they said his mother had been evil, or ugly, or a whore (whatever that meant), he knew the truth. Naruto's mother had loved him and that was all that mattered.

Once the kids realized any kind of teasing was pointless, they set their sights on other victims. He was alone, but at least Naruto could enjoy his playtime without interruptions.

Naruto tried one more time to relax and watch the clouds drift by. But no matter how much he concentrated on breathing, he could not get comfortable. With a defeated sigh, he sat up and jumped down from the tree. He may as well fail to meditate in the comfort of his bed.

Naruto landed on the grass and stretched his arms over his head. He wanted to go to the park to play on the swings or the sandbox, but he didn't feel like dealing with anyone else at the moment. He started to walk back home.

"Naruto," a gravelly voice called out from behind him.

"Aargh!" Naruto screamed in surprise. He spun around in the direction of the voice, falling into one of the taijutsu stances that Yugito had shown him.

When he turned around, he saw an old man looking down quizzically at him. He wore a long white robe with red trimmings and a large hat that covered his face in shadow. He held his hands behind his back. Despite his age, he exuded a level of control and power that reminded him most of Han.

Naruto gazed into the old man's eyes. To his surprise, instead of the usual fear and disgust, the man only looked curious.

"What do you want, old geezer?" he asked with an angry pout.

The man chuckled and he stepped closer. Naruto tensed. He might know a little taijutsu, but there was no way he could defeat any adult, even an old man. He was about to turn around and run away when the man placed his hand on top of Naruto's hair and ruffled it.

"My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi," the man said with a kind smile. "I just wanted to see what you were doing, Naruto."

Naruto looked up at the man in wonder. Everyone he had met in Konoha had been indifferent towards him at best. He swallowed, trying to suppress his nervousness.

"I was just watching the clouds, ya know," Naruto said. "How do you know my name, anyway?"

"I'm the Hokage," the man answered. "I know about everyone in the village."

"Hokage? What's that?" Naruto tilted his head to the side. The word sounded familiar but he wasn't sure where he'd heard it.

The old man chuckled. "I'm the leader of the village. I protect everyone in Konoha and I tell all of the other shinobi what to do."

Naruto stared up at the old man with a frown. He didn't know why the leader of Konoha would want to speak with him. _Unless... it's about my bijuu._ A shiver ran down Naruto's spine.

The older jinchuuriki had explained to him that he had a tailed beast sealed inside of him. He knew that Yagura, Yugito, and B worked together and shared chakra with their beasts as friends. Han, Utakata, and Roshi, while not as friendly, could also control their power and cooperate when necessary. They had all warned him, Fuu, and Gaara about trying to tame their bijuu before they became genin.

Naruto's heart threatened to beat out of his chest. Besides his bijuu, there was nothing interesting about him. _What does he want with me?_

"What do you want with me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking without success.

"Just to speak with you." The Hokage lifted his hand from Naruto's head to stroke his beard. "There are a few things we should talk about now that you are getting older."

Naruto's frown deepened and he glared up at the old man. "Why should I speak with you?" he asked

"I'll take you to eat ramen," the Hokage answered.

_Ramen?! _Worries forgotten, Naruto's eyes lit up in happiness and he beamed at the man. He felt himself drooling._ If I get ramen out of it, I'll listen to whatever this old geezer says!_

The Hokage chuckled again. He turned around to leave, signaling with one hand for Naruto to follow. Naruto tagged along obediently, already trying to decide what flavor he would order. He wondered if the man would let him order more than one bowl.

"How many bowls can I order, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked, overly polite. He could already taste the ramen and he hoped some flattery would let him have more than one bowl.

"How many can you eat?" the old man asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. A lot probably."

The Hokage sighed and continued walking. Naruto followed along at his heels, full of excitement. They left the tree grove at the edge of Konoha and headed toward the village center.

Naruto prepared himself for an onslaught of angry stares and mocking sneers. However, instead of the usual hate, the people looked at the old man with respect and admiration.

Some bowed briefly and smiled at the Hokage in reverence while others waved at him respectfully. The old man returned their bows with polite nods of his head and spoke to everyone with a smile.

Naruto stared up at the old man in awe. He wished he could walk the village and receive that kind of adoration.

The old man led them down one of the main streets in the village. Curious, Naruto followed him to a small stand with only a few seats. The sign outside has its name in kanji he didn't recognize. However, Naruto could recognize the all-important word for 'ramen.' It was one of the first words he had learned how to read, after all.

The old man sat down at the bar with a small sigh. Naruto jumped up to sit on the stool next to him. He could smell the broth and meat cooking. He had never smelled anything finer.

"Hokage-sama," a man behind the counter said. "It's nice to see you here. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I brought Naruto-kun for lunch," the Hokage explained.

At his words, the chef turned to look at Naruto at the Hokage's heels. Naruto stopped himself from cowering and prepared himself for the familiar sneer. However, the chef instead looked at him with furrowed eyes. Naruto saw a flash of recognition, but that look was gone so fast that he wondered if he had imagined it.

"Ah, so this is Naruto-kun," the chef said.

Naruto nodded and gulped. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Teuchi," the man answered with a grin. "You can call me Teuchi-san. It's nice to meet you, too."

"Thank you, Teuchi-san!" Naruto returned the grin.

He looked up at the Hokage next to him. The old man was smiling at him, hand scratching his beard. Naruto would make sure to visit this particular ramen restaurant the next chance he got. _Gotta have money first though._

"Well, now that our introductions are out of the way," Teuchi said, "what would you like to eat?"

"I want one of everything!" Naruto declared.

The Hokage chuckled. "Let's start with one bowl, Naruto."

Naruto scrunched up his face in concentration and looked up at the menu. He didn't know all of the characters, especially the kanji, but he could make sense of it. He thought for a few seconds before making a decision.

"I want the chashu pork ramen, please!" he said with a smile.

"Of course!" Teuchi replied. "And for you, Hokage-sama?"

"I'll have the same, please."

"Two bowls of chashu ramen coming right up!" the man declared with a cheerful smile before turning around to prepare their meals.

Naruto tried to peek over the counter to watch the chef work. To his dismay, he was too short to see and Teuchi's back blocked the preparation process anyway. With a pout, he dropped his head on the counter and closed his eyes. He tried to content himself with the smell of the broth.

At his side, the Hokage hummed in amusement. "Naruto-kun, I wanted to talk to you about a few things," he said.

Naruto turned to look up at him. "Talk about what?" he asked.

"I wanted to know how you were doing at the orphanage," the Hokage said. "Do you like it there?"

Naruto shrugged. "It's okay, I guess," he said. "They're always yellin' at me for being too loud, ya know."

"Do you want to continue living there?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not really."

The Hokage hummed, deep in thought. "If you don't like it, what do you think about living somewhere else?" he asked.

"Somewhere else?"

The old man nodded. "Yes. Perhaps at a small apartment to yourself. It might take some time for you to adjust, but I could help you get settled into a new place if you want."

"My own place?!" Naruto leaned forward in excitement. "You mean it?!"

The Hokage blinked before nodding. "Yes, Naruto-kun. I mean it."

"So what is that place like? Can I be as loud as I want? Is it near this ramen stand? Can I come to eat ramen here whenever I want?"

Naruto looked up at the Hokage, eyes bright and curious. However, when the old man opened his mouth to answer, two hot bowls of ramen were placed in front of them. Distracted, Naruto stared at the bowl in front of him.

It was possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Slices of chashu pork were placed artfully atop a plush bed of noodles with a soft boiled egg floating front and center in the broth. His favorite fishcake, the naruto-maki, floated on the surface, surrounded by a colorful variety of vegetables. A sheet of nori was tilted at the edge of the bowl. His mouth salivated from the divine smell emanating from the bowl. He swallowed

"Thank you for the meal," Naruto and the Hokage said at the same time.

Reverently, Naruto took a pair of chopsticks and separated them. Ignoring the temperature, he slurped the ramen noodles.

He swallowed and let out a sigh of pleasure. The Hokage chuckled at his side.

"You really like ramen, don't you?" the old man asked.

"Of course he does!" Teuchi answered with a grin. "My ramen is the best in all of Konoha, if not the world! That's why we are called Ichiraku Ramen!"

Naruto only nodded in agreement, his mouth too full of noodles to answer. He made sure to chew and swallow before answering.

"Yeah!" he answered. "This is the best ramen ever, ya know!"

"You like to flatter this old man!" Teuchi said before laughing.

Naruto ate his bowl as fast as he could. At his side, the Hokage ate much more slowly. He gave Naruto the occasional half-curious and half-horrified glance. Naruto finished his bowl before the Hokage was halfway done with his. He drank the remainder of the broth before sighing in contentment and rubbing at his stomach.

"Ah! That was so good!" Naruto said with a happy sigh before turning to look at the Hokage with what he hoped was a sympathetic look. "Can I have another bowl, please, Hokage-sama?"

The Third Hokage sighed in resignation. "Sure, one more."

Naruto cheered and kicked his legs under the counter. He hummed a song Fuu had taught him as he waited for Teuchi to bring out a second bowl. The Hokage took the opportunity to speak with Naruto without ramen in the way.

"Naruto-kun." Naruto turned to look up at the man again, a small frown on his face. "I was going to say more, but we got distracted."

"Argh!" Naruto yelled, remembering everything he had wanted to know. "Can I live in an apartment close to Ichiraku Ramen?"

The old man sighed. "We can look for a place nearby," he conceded. "However, the most important consideration will be the distance from the Academy."

"Academy?" Naruto tilted his head to the side. "I have to go to the Academy?"

The Hokage nodded. "Next year at the start of April," he explained. "You will start with the early students. The first year will focus mainly on reading, writing, history, and mathematics. You won't be learning ninjutsu until later."

"I'm going to learn ninjutsu?!" Naruto shouted.

"And also reading, writing, history, mathematics," the old man repeated insistently.

Naruto pouted. Reading and writing were difficult for him, but learning ninjutsu would make it worth it. There would also be other children his own age in school. Fuu was always talking about the friends she met at the Academy. _Maybe I'll make some friends, too._

"Next year?" Naruto asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Next year," the Hokage confirmed with a nod before taking a bite out of his own bowl of noodles.

"And when can I move into my new house?" Naruto asked.

"In a week or two at most," the Hokage answered. "I want to make sure you are settled for a few months before the school term starts. You will receive a weekly stipend to use however you wish, but you must manage it wisely so you don't run out. If you don't have any money left at the end of the week, you won't be able to buy more food, so be warned."

Naruto nodded in understanding. It made sense to him. He hoped the other jinchuuriki would help him learn how to manage the money. He probably wouldn't have to ask. As the youngest jinchuuriki, they liked telling him what to do. The only ones that never bossed him around were Gaara and Killer B. _Fuu is so bossy though._

Teuchi set down the second bowl in front of Naruto. Naruto dug in, although he made sure to slow down and enjoy the flavor the second time. Naruto and the Hokage ate in companionable silence.

When Naruto finished his second bowl, he almost wanted to beg for a third, but he refrained. He didn't want to take advantage of anyone's generosity. Roshi had scolded him about it when he had demanded that Utakata make bubbles.

The Hokage finished his first bowl soon after with a content sigh and he turned to look down at Naruto.

"Are you full?" the old man asked.

Naruto nodded insincerely._ I can probably eat at least two more bowls._

The Hokage nodded, relieved that Naruto had finished. "In that case," he said, "let's go. I will walk you back to the orphanage."

Naruto nodded and jumped down from the stool. He turned around to look at the ramen chef, who was busy preparing something behind the counter.

"Goodbye, Teuchi-san!" he said with a grin while waving his hand back and forth.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun, Hokage-sama," Teuchi replied. "Thank you very much for coming! Please come back again, Naruto-kun." He smiled kindly down at Naruto from behind the counter. "I think you're already one of my favorite customers!"

Naruto blushed. He had never been told something so nice by the people of Konoha. He nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks for the meal!" he said while scratching the back of his neck.

"Let's go, Naruto-kun."

"Yes, Gramps!" Naruto followed obediently.

Naruto saw the man's shoulders tense at the familiar term and a weight settled into his stomach. _Was I too familiar?_

However, when Naruto saw his face, the man seemed surprised instead of insulted. When the Hokage caught Naruto looking, he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in happiness. Naruto let out a relieved sigh. He didn't want to insult people who treated him to ramen. _Then he might never buy me ramen again!_

Together, the old man and the boy walked in the direction of the orphanage. As before, everyone they passed greeted the Hokage reverently. The Hokage returned each of their greetings with nods and pleasantries of his own.

They ignored Naruto, only acknowledging him with small frowns of confusion. Naruto assumed they were wondering why he was with the Hokage. Naruto glared at them in return but said nothing, content in the old man's shadow. They arrived at the gates of the orphanage a few minutes later.

Naruto bit his lip nervously. He had enjoyed the friendly company and he didn't want the day to end so fast. He wavered at the entrance.

"Why are you the Hokage, Gramps?" Naruto asked while pulling on the man's coat, only trying to delay their separation.

The old man hummed thoughtfully before answering, looking down at Naruto. "It's because I'm the strongest shinobi in Konoha," the Hokage answered.

"Am I going to get stronger if I'm in school?"

The Hokage nodded in agreement. "Yes, but you have to study and pay attention. It's not easy and it will take time."

Naruto scratched his chin before beaming up at the old man. "Then, one day, I'm going to be even stronger than you and before the next Hokage!" Naruto declared in excitement. "Then everyone in Konoha will respect me!"

The Hokage's eyes opened wide in surprise before his face shifted and he smiled. The man chuckled and extended one hand to ruffle Naruto's hair.

"Becoming Hokage is not only about being recognized, Naruto-kun," he explained. "It's about taking care of everyone in the village as if they were your own family. That's what it means to be Hokage."

Naruto frowned but nodded nevertheless. He didn't know why he should care about protecting the villagers when they despised him and wished he didn't exist.

With a pout, Naruto turned around to open the gate that led into the orphanage. However, the Hokage interrupted before he had a chance to leave.

"Wait, Naruto-kun," the old man said. "I have something for you."

At those words, Naruto turned back. He watched the man rummage through pockets hidden in the sleeves of his coat. A few seconds later, he pulled out a small box which he handed over to Naruto.

"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun," the Hokage said.

Naruto blinked._ Birthday? It's my birthday today?_

He looked down at the small box in his hands and gulped. He had never received a present before. Nervous and hesitant, he opened the box. Inside was a small frog-shaped wallet. Its emptiness made it look sad. Underneath was a red envelope. He looked up at the Hokage for confirmation before pulling it out and opening it. Inside the envelope were a few paper bills.

Naruto gasped in surprise. He had never had his own money before. He looked up at the old man, who was smiling in happiness at his reaction.

"I thought you should have a little spending money before you move out on your own," the Hokage explained. "Feel free to use it however you want, but please be responsible."

Naruto felt the tears starting to form in his eyes and he looked up in admiration. Before he had a chance to think or change his mind, he leaped forward and hugged the Hokage around the waist. He made sure not to drop his gift.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Naruto muttered as he buried his face on the man's stomach.

At first, the old man was startled at the sudden contact but simply placed a hand on top of Naruto's head. "You're welcome, Naruto-kun," he said. "Happy birthday. How does it feel to be six years old?"

At the question, Naruto forced himself to let go. He stepped back, rubbing at his eyes with his forearm to stop the tears running down his face. Forcing himself, he grinned at the old man.

"It doesn't feel any different," he admitted. "I forgot it was my birthday until you told me, ya know!"

The Hokage chuckled. "Then I'm glad I reminded you."

Naruto wiped his tears away from his face before bowing down deeply in gratitude.

"Thank you very much, Gramps."

"You're welcome," the old man answered. "I will come and pick you up once it's time for you to move out. I will see you soon, Naruto-kun."

"See you soon, Gramps!" Naruto beamed one last time before turning around and passing through the front gate of the orphanage.

He looked back to wave at the old man, but when he turned, he had already vanished.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Nobody taught Naruto about stranger danger. Don't follow people just because they offer ramen! Also, six-year-old children probably shouldn't live alone.**

**Thanks so much for the r/fanfiction discord server for always being there for me. I could not have done this without you.**

**You can bother me on Tumblr. My username is waffledogwrites.**

**Next Chapter: Naruto makes a friend.**


	14. Meetings with Destiny

**In which Fuu tries to gather intel, Yagura and Han talk, and Naruto makes a friend.**

**Warning for juvenile double entendres.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Ever since Yagura told her about the Takigakure missing-nin, Fuu had been on the hunt for intel.

For the past two months, she had scoured through all the books in the school library. However, she had found nothing promising, and she saw no one who fit the description of the man Yagura had seen. She wanted to ask Takumi, but she couldn't think of how she could broach the topic. After her search had come up empty, Fuu considered her last remaining option: breaking into Hisen's office to search through the archives.

It was the middle of the night and the village was quiet, with only the wind to break the silence. A thin blanket of snow covered the ground and she could only see using the faint light from a nearby lantern.

Fuu squinted at the second-story window of the administrative building. She had tried teaching herself how to stick to the walls with chakra, but her control was terrible and she pushed herself off the wall instead. She had also tried scaling the old-fashioned way, but the wall was too smooth to climb using her arms and legs.

From the window, she looked at the tree behind her. It stood tall a few feet away from the building, one of its branches extending close to the window. She would have to jump from the tree to Hisen's archives.

As silent as possible, Fuu climbed the tree and balanced perfectly on the branch. She gauged the distance to the window. _If I get a good head start, I can clear the distance._

She took a deep breath and jumped.

While in the air, she smiled to herself as she neared the window, believing her mission accomplished. However, when she extended her hands to grab onto the ledge, she missed her target and she fell to the ground.

She swallowed a scream when she landed painfully on her knees. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes but she bit her tongue to keep herself from making a sound. Gingerly, she looked at her injuries. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Her knees were skinned, but the snow numbed the pain.

Fuu took a few seconds to rest. Her bijuu healed her quickly and a minute later, she had mostly recovered. She took a deep breath in and out before standing up. She winced but made no other noise.

Fuu climbed again and balanced on the branch. She walked as close as she dared to the edge before jumping. She felt a rush of victory but she failed yet again, falling through the sky to land painfully on her snow.

Determined, she tried again and again, failing miserably each time. Increasingly frustrated with each attempt, she huffed to herself, caring less and less about staying silent.

It was only at her tenth attempt that she realized that she was not alone. As she readied herself to jump, she heard someone clearing their throat from underneath the tree. Concentration broken, Fuu lost her balance and tumbled to land face down at the feet of the intruder.

With a wince of pain, she looked at the person standing over her. He was not much older than her. He looked familiar and she took a second to recognize him as the boy that had been in Hisen's office years ago.

The boy was older now, a teenager. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest as he glared at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked disapprovingly.

With a groan, Fuu sat up and rubbed her knees. She racked her brain to come up with an excuse to explain the situation but came out empty.

"I'm just... uh..." Fuu fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "Practicing my jumping skills."

"In the middle of the night?"

"Shinobi don't always fight in the day," she rationalized. "Besides, I should ask you the same question. What are _you_ doing here?"

"If you must know, I'm going home for the night," he said. "I live near here. Also, don't try to shift blame. The most suspicious person is you."

Fuu bit her lip and looked at the other boy again. She examined his face carefully. He had bags under his eyes that could only come from extreme exhaustion. His clothes were torn, most likely because of shuriken or kunai. Despite his angry posture, he held himself gingerly, leaning on his left leg to stand.

"Why are you so beat up?" Fuu asked in a weak attempt to redirect the conversation. "Did you just get back from a mission?"

To Fuu's surprise, the other boy flinched and he tapped one finger on his forearm in a nervous gesture. Fuu pressed her advantage.

"How did you get those injuries?" she asked.

The boy sighed before glaring at her again and answering. "If you must know, it's from training. Suien-sensei pushes me to be the best that I can be. Takigakure, despite not being one of the five great villages, has a reputation to maintain for producing capable shinobi. If I wish to become a jounin of renown, I must-"

"Suien is your sensei, too?" Fuu interrupted incredulously, her mission momentarily forgotten.

"Too?" The boy raised an eyebrow.

Fuu nodded. "Yeah, Suien-sama was my main teacher before I enrolled in the Academy. He was always really mean to me! If I didn't know any better, I would've thought he wanted me to fail! Once I started going to school, I only had to see him on Sundays for training but that stopped after a while."

"Wait... your teacher? Who are you?" The boy's frown deepened.

With a smile, Fuu finally stood up to introduce herself. "My name is Fuu!" she said. "Nice to meet you."

She bowed her head politely, but the boy in front of her was speechless. Curious about his reaction, she lifted her face to meet his eyes. Her heart sank into her stomach.

"You're the jinchuuriki," he said. On his face was the same look she had gotten from all of her caretakers and teachers except for Takumi.

"So what?" she asked, clenching her hands into angry fists. She wondered how a random boy could have learned about her status when it was supposed to be a secret inside the village.

The boy swallowed. "My father told me about you. He said a bijuu can destroy an entire village in a few minutes."

"I'm not a bijuu," Fuu answered testily. "I'm Fuu. Just cause I have a bijuu sealed inside of me doesn't mean I will destroy the village. Besides, who is to say my bijuu would destroy Takigakure, anyway? I bet my bijuu is really nice but since no one has ever talked to it, everyone thinks it's evil! Did you ever think about that?"

"W-well, perhaps, but still..."

Fuu huffed in anger and turned her gaze to look at the trunk of the tree instead. She pouted. After years of living alone and spending her days with her friends, she had almost forgotten how it felt to be judged for her mere existence.

Yagura, B, and Yugito were always telling her about their tailed beasts. They were friends, able to commiserate with one another about anything. One day, Fuu hoped to have the same kind of relationship with the Nanabi.

The boy in front of her cringed at her reaction. "Sorry, Fuu," he said apologetically, sounding sincere. "My father told me to be nice when we met but-"

"Wait, your father?" Distracted, Fuu turned around to look at the boy with new eyes. "Who's your father?"

"The Village Head, of course," he said proudly. "I will take his place one day, so I have to be as strong as I can."

"Oh!" Fuu stared at the boy in a new light. _He probably has access to the library already! I can convince him to let me in!_

"So... what's your name, anyway?" she asked, trying to make herself sound impressed.

"My name is Shibuki," he said. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too!" Fuu said with a wide smile. _He's my key to the archives, I just know it!_

Shibuki huffed impatiently. "So are you going to finally tell me what you were planning to do or not?" he asked.

"Well, you see, the library in the Academy is not very complete." Fuu decided to tell part of the truth. "And I want to learn more about the history of Takigakure and its most important ninja. But since I don't have access to the archives yet, I wanted to get information from Hisen-sama's office."

"Why didn't you ask my father if you could use the archives?" he asked.

"I thought he would say no."

Shibuki sighed. "He would have," he admitted. "Still! You can't just try to jump through a window! Wait until you graduate and you will have free access then. What do you have to know that's so important, anyway?"

_The identity of a Takigakure missing-nin that might be hunting for me or the other jinchuuriki I talk to in my head. _However, Fuu knew she couldn't say anything about that and she bit her lip instead. She tried to think of a reasonable answer, but her mind was blank.

"I guess I don't _need_ to know about it now," she lied.

"That's right!" Shibuki scolded her. "Wait for graduation! Or ask your teacher about it if you can't wait. I'm not going to tell Dad about it this time, but if I see you trying to sneak in again, you're going to be in a lot of trouble!"

Fuu sighed and nodded before waving goodbye and making her way home. She wasn't giving up yet. She just needed a plan for how to get in. _Shibuki is the key._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Han meandered towards the Tsuchikage's office. Onoki had summoned him and he was anxious to know what he wanted so he could go home. _Most likely another stupid mission to fight or kill someone._

He turned and walked down the hallway that led to the Tsuchikage's office. To his annoyance, the door was closed. With an impatient sigh, he stopped at the corner and leaned back on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed.

As he waited, Han let his mind wander. He hoped whatever Onoki wanted, it wouldn't take long. He wanted to go to the market and buy ingredients for dinner. He was torn between making grilled fish or stir-fried pork.

As he was debating the nutritional benefits of each option, the door to the Tsuchikage's office opened. Han turned to look, expecting an Iwa shinobi to come out. Instead, a familiar man wearing a black robe embroidered with red clouds closed the door behind him.

Unlike the last time, Han took a careful look at the man's appearance. He had red hair that curled slightly at the tips and a hazy, dreamy look in his eyes with a smirk on his lips. He was short, only a few inches taller than Roshi and carried himself with an air of arrogance. On his left thumb, he wore a purple ring.

Han narrowed his eyes as the man walked down the hall, memorizing every detail for later. The man approached slowly, looking satisfied with himself. When he reached the corner where Han awaited, the man stopped and looked up.

"Waiting for the Tsuchikage?" the man said with a smirk. "Don't worry, he's free now, Han."

Han felt an involuntary shudder run down his back. He scowled at the man but he didn't respond. The man sneered and gave him a long and calculating look before walking away. _If he knows my name, what else does he know? Their organization is looking for Roshi, do they want me too?_

Han waited for the man's footsteps to disappear before humming thoughtfully to himself and walking down the hall into Onoki's office. He closed the door behind him.

"Han," Onoki said.

"Tsuchikage-sama," Han responded, forcefully polite. "Who was that man?"

"Oh, him? Just a friend from Sunagakure," the Tsuchikage answered nonchalantly while waving a hand in front of his face. "He did me a favor. An expensive favor, but what else is there to do."

Han forced his face into a neutral mask. Only his eyes were visible with his armor, but Onoki was a crafty bastard who could smell insurrection from a mile away.

"I see," Han answered. "In that case, how may I be of assistance, Tsuchikage-sama?"

"I just wanted to remind you that the next chuunin exams will start next month. Make sure you're ready for them."

"Of course, Tsuchikage-sama." Han felt relieved. He had been expecting a long-term mission. Babysitting clueless genin was a lot more fun.

With a small bow of his head, Han left, trying not to look hasty.

He went to the market, ignoring all the glares and murmurs as he bought his ingredients. At home, he cooked and ate, unable to enjoy the meal as his mind ran a mile a minute. _What does that man know about me? Do they want jinchuuriki for some reason? Or do they just want to collect bounties on our heads?_

Han worried about the situation for the rest of the evening and late into the night. Determined, he flipped through his collection of bingo books for hours. He frowned when he found the profile of the red-headed man. Underneath his picture, he read the description: _Sasori of the Red Sand. S-Rank Missing-Nin. Run on sight._

Han sighed. The last time there had been a "run on sight" order had been with the Yellow Flash. _What the hell is Onoki doing getting favors from S-rank Missing-Nin? _

He appeared in the empty Room after midnight when everyone else had already gone to sleep. He walked to the Door marked with the kanji for the number three and opened communication.

'_Yagura, we need to talk.'_

Yagura woke up immediately at the mental contact. '_What is it?'_

'_I saw that red-headed man I told you about before. Come to the Room and I can tell you about it in more detail.'_

A few seconds later, Yagura's physical manifestation appeared in front of him, looking disgruntled but alert.

"Couldn't this have waited for tomorrow?" he complained. "I found a nice pile of dirt to sleep on."

Han sighed. _Is this the thanks I get for spying on my own village for him?_

"No, it could not," Han answered testily. "But I have cause to believe that this organization is looking for jinchuuriki."

"Why do you say that?" Yagura asked curiously. "Also, can you sit down? I'm gonna get a crick in my neck if I have to look up at you for the entire conversation."

"This is a mental projection of our physical bodies, Yagura. You can't get a crick in your neck by looking up," Han complained but did as told, anyway.

"Thank you," Yagura said as he flopped down onto the floor. He sighed in exhaustion and waved his hand lazily to motion for Han to speak.

"I saw a young male that appeared to be in his early 20s," Han said with precision befitting a mission report. "He had red hair that curled slightly at the tips. I approximate his height as 162 to 165 centimeters tall, with a weight of 50 kilos. Slight body. He wore a long black robe with red clouds embroidered upon them and a ring on his left thumb, although I could not make out any markings on it."

Yagura nodded at the description and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, now there's another missing-nin to look up," he complained.

"No, I already know who it is."

"You do?" Yagura asked, surprised.

"Yes," Han answered. "It was Sasori of the Red Sand. Easily the most infamous missing-nin from Sunagakure. He is rumored to use over ten puppets at once."

Yagura looked at him in surprise before speaking. "How did you figure it out?"

"I looked in the bingo book."

Yagura sighed. "Of course," he complained, voice full of bitterness. "My bingo book focuses on ninja from Kiri and Konoha. I don't suppose you have anything about the Takigakure man I saw in your magic bingo book?"

Han shook his head. "Some villages are more secretive about their missing-nin than Suna or Konoha," he explained. "I tried looking through the newest versions of the book and through the most recent bounty postings. However, I found no one fitting your description."

"So we have to wait for Fuu to figure it out, then?"

"Most likely," Han admitted. "Just don't put any pressure on her," he threatened Yagura with a frown. "She already has a lot to worry about."

Yagura rolled his eyes but nodded. "She's like, four. What kind of person do you think I am to pressure a four-year-old girl to find classified intel?"

"She's ten."

"Is she?" Yagura asked sarcastically. "I must have misheard when she was running around the Room screaming it was her birthday a few months ago."

Despite the situation, Han chuckled. He hated when Roshi was out of the village on long-term missions. With no one else to talk to, he would have died of boredom without the Room.

"So we know about three members of this mysterious group," Yagura said while counting down with his fingers. "One was wearing an orange mask and is most likely the one responsible for my brainwashing. The second is a tall, scary man from Takigakure. The last one is Sasori of the Red Sand. Their mission is unknown, but they want something from me and Roshi."

"Speaking of their interest," Han added. "The man called me by name. I believe that he was checking me out."

Yagura blinked and stared up at Han before he burst into laughter. "Checking you out? Were you wearing sexy lingerie or what?"

"What?" Han blushed as he realized what his words had sounded like.

"I mean, you said he was checking you out," Yagura replied with a smirk. "I've always been curious about your face. Are you secretly handsome under all that armor?"

"Not like that!" Han countered. "He was checking me out curiously, like a piece of meat or a target. I was wearing my full armor, anyway."

Yagura ignored his objection. "Do you think he just likes taller people, then?"

"Are you being serious, Yagura?" Han complained. He couldn't believe their lives were on the line and Yagura was focusing on a slip of the tongue.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop," Yagura said as he let out a final chuckle. He breathed out to calm himself and he stared at Han, his face thoughtful.

Han raised a brow and waited. Yagura stared at Han in silence with a serious frown on his face. Relieved, Han opened his mouth to speak.

"Anyway, I believe that-"

"So did _you _think he was handsome?" Yagura interrupted with a snort. "I know he was checking _you_ out, but were you checking _him _out? Do I hear wedding bells in the future or is this more of a one-night-stand kind of relationship?"

Han wondered if punching Yagura was worth the headache when he woke up.

Valiantly, he ignored the laughter to continue speaking. "The first one took control over your actions with a genjutsu while the second one was looking for Roshi. I think it's likely that they are on the hunt for jinchuuriki."

Yagura snorted but calmed himself enough to answer. "Why do you think so? You and Roshi have bounties on your heads. They might simply want the money."

Han shrugged. "It's only a guess," he admitted. "But one organization being involved with three different jinchuuriki is too much of a coincidence for me to swallow."

"Oh, and how big are you willing to swallow, Han?" Yagura asked, raising a single eyebrow.

Han glared at his friend. "What's wrong with you?"

"I miss my wife and I'm sleeping on the dirt. Let me cope," Yagura answered with an exasperated chuckle before becoming serious again. "What do you think they might want with the jinchuuriki? Or do you think they care more about the bijuu attached to us?"

"We can only speculate. They could brainwash us to do their bidding. They could also extract our bijuu and use it for their own internal mission."

Yagura scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Mercenary companies tend to only care about money," he speculated. "They _could _try to extract the tailed beast and _then _sell it to the highest bidder."

"Who knows?" Han shrugged. "The only thing we can do is stay on the lookout for anyone suspicious."

Yagura sighed and stood up, stretching his body as he did so. "Agreed. Keep an eye on Roshi. Have you told him about this yet?"

Han shook his head. "Not yet. He's out of the village on a mission and I don't want to worry him right now. I wanted to get your opinion first. We can tell the others tomorrow when they are all here."

Yagura nodded in agreement before letting out a big yawn. "Sounds like a plan," he said. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep now. The pile of dirt I found is softer than the pile of dirt from last night."

Han stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "Goodnight, Yagura."

"Goodnight." Yagura waved his hand lazily. "Oh, and there's one more thing we have to consider."

"What is it?" Han asked.

"Would you prefer a spring wedding or a summer wedding?" Yagura teased with a smirk. "It sometimes rains during spring, but summer weddings are boiling. There are advantages and disadvantages to both."

Before he changed his mind, Han called upon his chakra. Steam coursed through his arm and he punched Yagura in the face, causing the former Mizukage to fly to the other side of the Room.

"Ow, you bastard!" Yagura yelled. "Now I'm gonna wake up with a headache!"

"As will I," Han replied. He heard Yagura chuckling to himself. In the morning, both of them would wake up with migraines but Han didn't care. _Worth it_.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto liked having his own apartment.

The first few days, he hadn't known what to do. He had only walked around his new home, looking in awe at everything that now belonged to him and him alone. The apartment was bigger than necessary, separated into three rooms: the bathroom, the bedroom, and the living area. The furnishings were basic and worn but sturdy and he had more than enough space for his limited supply of toys and books. The best part, however, was that Ichiraku Ramen was only a few blocks away.

Through the Room, he allowed the others to look at his apartment. Their reactions varied from harsh criticism to genuine excitement. They all made suggestions about ways to decorate his new place. Naruto listened attentively, although he knew that he would not convert his entire balcony into a greenhouse or build an ant terrarium in his room.

The only downside to living on his own was that he had to learn how to feed himself.

He went to Ichiraku Ramen many times but made sure not to order over two bowls per visit. Teuchi's ramen might be amazing, but the price added up and the instant ramen was also good. He survived for a few days eating only ramen, thinking nothing of it until he told Roshi about it.

"You're only eating ramen, Naruto?" Roshi asked, horrified.

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Naruto frowned in confusion.

Insulted at Naruto's reaction, Roshi made it his personal mission to teach Naruto everything he knew about cooking. Since then, he had forced Naruto to prepare complex meals when he could eat ramen instead.

Thankfully, Utakata took pity on him and taught Naruto easy ways to cook at home. Unlike Roshi's more extravagant techniques, Utakata preferred fast and easy meals.

"You should always have rice and eggs at home," Utakata insisted. "If nothing else, you can have fried eggs with rice. Add a splash of soy sauce and you have a complete meal. Bonito flakes and nori are also good. You can make rice balls."

Naruto nodded in relief. He didn't enjoy cooking much. Having a few basic recipes in his repertoire was enough to keep Roshi from teaching him how to make mapo tofu or broiled pork belly.

Two months after moving in, his apartment had become a home. He didn't have to worry about being a little too loud and he could soak in the bath as long as he wanted. He ate when he was hungry and during the day he wandered the village or spent time outside.

Especially now that winter had come, Naruto enjoyed the empty parks. He could play alone with no one bothering him or glaring at him.

As he locked his apartment door behind him, he rubbed his hands together and wrapped his red scarf around his neck a few times. Slightly warmer, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked determinedly to one grove at the edge of the village. People rarely visited it and there was a swing where he liked to sit and think.

Predictably, he saw no one else at the grove when he arrived. The presence of snow combined with the distance from the village center meant that very few people would join him. That suited Naruto perfectly.

He sat on the swing. He watched the snowflakes falling, catching them with his tongue. Content, he swung back and forth, the winter chill making his face numb. He enjoyed the solitude for a few minutes before he felt the presence of new people.

He tensed, dreading any attention. Thankfully, they ignored him and Naruto went back to kicking his feet back and forth.

A sharp sob broke him out of his reverie. Curious, he let the swing come to a natural stop as he stared at the children that had joined earlier. He frowned. A small girl was sobbing, her hands covering her eyes while a group of three older boys mocked her.

"Hey Hyuuga girl, show us your Byakugan!" the tallest boy taunted. "If you can't, then just get lost!"

At his words, the girl looked down with a sob.

"Your eyes are creepy," says the shortest boy with a sneer. The two other boys laugh at his words.

"You're actually just a monster, aren't you?" said the third.

"Yeah, a Byakugan monster!" agreed the first one.

The girl squatted down on the snow with her forehead between her knees. She covered her eyes with her forearms as she sobbed pathetically. Naruto ground his teeth as he listened to the confrontation.

Whoever that girl was, she didn't deserve what they said. He had been called a freak too, and he knew the pain of those words.

"Hey!" he shouted, pointing one finger at the boys. "Leave her alone!"

"Oh yeah? And who are you anyway?" the tallest one asked with a smug grin on his face.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be the future Hokage, ya know!"

"Future Hokage? Are you an idiot?" one boy asked with a sneer.

Naruto growled in response.

"I'm gonna show you!" Naruto yelled as he got into a taijutsu stance Fuu had shown him.

The older boys, shinobi-in-training most likely, simply sneered at his attempts to fight. Before he could blink, the tallest boy lunged forward, punching Naruto in the nose. Naruto felt blood dripping down his face, and he fell back on the snow.

Defeated, he blinked up at the sky, willing the blood to stop and the pounding in his face to recede. He hoped his nose was not broken. It might take over a day to heal if it was. He wasn't sure if he felt more embarrassed about losing a fight or about not living up to Fuu's instructions.

As the pain slowly receded, he heard the boys laughing. _At least they're not making fun of the girl anymore_.

"Now let's have some fun!" one boy said. "Future Hokage, my ass!"

Naruto felt someone pulling on the scarf wrapped around his neck. Too preoccupied with the pain, he let them and felt a twinge of regret. _I bought that scarf with my birthday money, asshole!_ He felt himself go numb from the pain, only hearing the laughter of the older boys.

When Naruto came to, the pain on his face had receded and his nose had stopped dripping blood. Furiously, he jumped up from the snow and fell into another taijutsu stance.

"I'm not done yet!" he yelled. However, the other boys were already long gone, leaving him alone with the girl.

Naruto squatted down in defeat to stare at his feet. He had eight other shinobi to teach him taijutsu and ninjutsu and he still couldn't defeat a small group of boys. He suppressed a wince as he rubbed his cheek in embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked in a soft voice as she squatted near Naruto.

"I was holding back, ya know," Naruto explained, although he knew that he was only deluding himself. He wished he were as big as Han. No one would bother him then.

The girl swallowed nervously before talking again.

"They... ruined your scarf," she said as she held what remained of it up to him.

He examined the girl squatting next to him closely.

Despite their departure, she still seemed anxious. She had large pale eyes that were furrowed with worry. Her dark hair was cropped short to her ears while her skin was almost as pale as the snow surrounding them.

Naruto frowned. She didn't look at him with the typical dislike he was used to. It was unusual. With a shake of his head, Naruto sighed and waved his hand back and forth. The humiliation of losing a fight was much worse than losing a scarf.

"I'm sorry," she said, sounding close to tears.

"Don't worry about it." Naruto forced himself to smile despite the pain.

She didn't return the gesture and instead looked away nervously. Naruto's smile froze on his face. Part of himself wanted to back home, but the girl reminded him of Gaara: small and made to deal with forces much bigger than himself.

"What's your name, anyway?" Naruto asked as he stood up, brushing the snow away.

"Huh?" she asked nervously. "My name?"

"Yeah!" Naruto said cheerfully. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. What's your name?"

"Hinata Hyuuga," she said, eyes looking down nervously.

Naruto beamed at her. "Nice to meet you, Hinata-chan!"

"Thank you very much," Hinata bowed respectfully to Naruto. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto grinned. "Don't need to be so formal, ya know! Call me Naruto!"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked nervously.

Naruto beamed at her and she smiled for the first time in return.

"I hope we can be friends!" Naruto said while playing with his goggles as he awaited her answer.

Hinata blushed. "F-friends?" she stuttered. "With me?"

Naruto's heart sunk into his stomach. _Does she hate me already? _

"Yeah," he grunted angrily. "Is that a problem?"

Hinata blushed.

"N-no, Naruto-kun," she said. "It's just that..." she looked down at her feet and hugged the corpse of the scarf up to her chest. She swallowed nervously. "It's just that... um... I've never had a friend before."

At the confession, her face turned into a deeper shade of red, which Naruto had not believed was possible. The weight inside his stomach disappeared, and he exhaled a sigh of relief. He smiled, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"S-sorry... I've never had a friend before either," he admitted. _Not in Konoha at least._

"Oh," Hinata said. The two stood together, avoiding each other's eyes as they contemplated how to break the awkward silence.

"D'you wanna play together?" Naruto finally asked. He couldn't look her in the eye, embarrassed for putting her on the spot earlier.

"Uh... what do you want to play, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, determined.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to meet her eyes again. "I dunno," he answered. "We can play ninja or hide and seek. Or I can push you on the swing. I bet I can push you really high, ya know!"

"Really?" Hinata asked before looking down at the remains of the scarf once again.

With a grimace, Naruto took it and threw it on the ground. He made a mental note to discard of it. Perhaps he would burn it. Roshi and Yugito liked to burn things.

Hinata stared down at the scarf on the ground in regret. However, before she had the chance to apologize again, Naruto pulled on her hand and took her to the swing. She let out a small surprised yelp but followed along.

Naruto laughed, and he heard a small giggle from the girl next to him. Naruto motioned for her to sit on the swing.

"So are you training to be a ninja?" he asked, pushing lightly on her back.

"My father is training me now," she answered. "But Ko-san told me I'm going to enroll at the Academy in April."

"Academy?!" Naruto yelled cheerfully. "I'm going to the Academy, too! We can be friends there!"

"I'm glad," she said, voice as she swung. "I thought I was not going to make any friends."

Naruto laughed as he pushed her higher and higher. She squealed in surprise at the height and broke out into laughter. Naruto listened to her giggles, smiling to himself at being able to make her so happy after the events from earlier.

"Higher!" she yelled. Naruto complied and Hinata let out a shriek of excitement as the winter air blew on her face.

"Hinata-sama!" a deep voice yelled out from behind them.

"Ko-san!" Hinata said as the laughter died in her throat.

Naruto stopped pushing and turned around to look at a tall teenage boy who was walking closer and closer. Like Hinata, he had pale pupil-less eyes. He glared and Naruto swallowed at the expression on his face.

In front of him, the swing came to a stop as Hinata planted her feet on the ground. She ran to the teenager and bowed her head in apology.

"Hinata-sama!" the teenager scolded. "I told you to wait for me while I finished the enrollment paperwork."

"I know Ko-san," Hinata said. Her previous cheerfulness was gone as she stared at her feet and pushed her index fingers together in a nervous gesture. Naruto frowned. He didn't know why Hinata had to listen to him.

The teenager sighed. "I know, Hinata-sama," he said. "But your father worries about you. He only wants what's best for you and the clan."

Hinata nodded obediently before turning to Naruto and giving him a strained smile. "I will see you at the Academy, Naruto-kun," she said, looking close to tears again.

"Of course! We're friends now, ya know!" Naruto placed the palms of his hands on the back of his head and forced a grin on his face.

A small but genuine smile formed on Hinata's lips and she turned her gaze back on him. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Hinata nodded politely at him. The teenager pulled on her hand and walked away. Before they left the grove, however, he turned his head to glare at Naruto one last time. Naruto stuck his tongue out in return.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: (Adds Hinata to character list) I will aggressively make Hinata and Naruto BFF's with no romance between them if it's the last thing I do. I love Hinata and I love the idea of her and Naruto helping each other become better people as friends. **

**As always, my Tumblr is waffledogwrites. Don't be afraid to talk to be there.**

**Next Chapter: Naruto goes to school. **


	15. The Beast Within

**In which Fuu meets someone important and Naruto goes to school.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

It was a rare night when most of the jinchuuriki were in the Room together. Utakata and Yugito were deep in conversation, sitting across from one another. In one corner, Roshi, Han, and Killer B traded stories about the Third Shinobi War.

Fuu looked at the two children sitting in front of her. Gaara was listening to Naruto as he told them a story about a girl he met while at the park. Fuu listened attentively and grinned. _It's nice to see Naruto making friends._

"Fuu-chan," Yagura's familiar voice interrupted.

"Yagura-san?" she asked as she turned to look up at him.

"I have something to tell you," he said with a frown. For a second, she felt a weight drop into the pit of her stomach, terrified about the possibilities. However, Yagura only looked confused.

"What is it, Yagura-san?" she asked.

Yagura opened his mouth as if to speak before reconsidering. He scratched his chin and closed his eyes, deep in thought. Fuu stood up. The boys followed her and stood at her sides in silent support.

"I got a message from Isobu," Yagura finally said while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "It was weird."

"A message?" Gaara asked.

"Isobu?" Fuu asked.

"Weird?" Naruto asked.

Yagura nodded. "Isobu is the name of my bijuu," Yagura answered. "He told me that one of his siblings tried talking to him while he was resting in the space the tailed beasts share."

"The bijuu share a room of their own?" Han asked in an incredulous tone, distracted from his own conversation.

Yagura shrugged. "It's what Isobu told me. He described it to me one time. He says it's infinite and that the floor is made from a shallow pool of water. He says the other bijuu haven't really used that space ever since the Nine-Tailed Fox threw a hissy fit about being the strongest."

"Oh, yeah! Hachibi said the same thing," B rapped. "He says they never give 'im a ring! Up in their space, they're always displaced, oh yeah!"

"So, anyway," Yagura continued, ignoring B completely. "Isobu sent me a message from the Seven-Tails. He told me to tell you that your bijuu wants to talk."

"With me?" Fuu asked, blinking in confusion. "Why?"

Yagura shrugged. "I don't know. He only told me to send the message. He says the Nanabi says that it wishes to speak in person."

"No! You can't talk to your bijuu, Fuu-chan, I forbid it!" Roshi yelled as he walked closer, a furious frown on his face.

"W-What? Why?" Fuu clutched the hem of her skirt.

"It's dangerous!" Roshi answered. "Bijuu are creatures made of hate. They love to watch you suffer and in pain. You're not old enough to face it alone!"

"Not all bijuu are like that," Yagura commented. "I consider Isobu my friend and comrade and has done a lot to help me survive. If Fuu is careful, she can-"

"No!" Roshi repeated, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous. We don't even know what the beast wants!"

"Roshi," Han interrupted. "Yagura has a point. My bijuu is stubborn and sometimes unpredictable, but she has helped me before. I know you have trouble with your tailed beast, but it's possible to have a cordial or even friendly relationship with them."

"Matatabi says I remind her of a kitten," Yugito admitted. She tried to sound annoyed but sounded pleased instead. "She says I have a desire to prove myself to everyone, so she lets me borrow her power whenever I want."

"The six-tails lets me use acid with my jutsu," Utakata added with a lazy wave of his hand. "He and I both like to watch bubbles floating in the air."

"Oh yeah! With the Hachibi, I'm never alone! With our powers combined, our power's streamlined, you dumbass phonies!"

Gaara crossed his arms in front of his chest and sighed. "Why do you all have nice bijuu?" he complained. "Shukaku is really mean."

Yagura chuckled and ruffled Gaara's hair. "Sorry about that, Gaara-chan. Maybe eventually you will have full control. It's also possible that someone could alter your seal in the future."

Gaara sighed but nodded at Yagura's words. Fuu felt a pang in her chest. She knew how much pain Gaara was in from having Shukaku's voice in his head. The village's treatment of him over something he couldn't control only made it worse.

"Roshi, I think it's going to be Fuu's choice," Yagura said. "I'm only the messenger. So what's it gonna be, Fuu. Are you going to talk to your bijuu or not?"

Fuu bit her lip. She remembered yelling at Shibuki about not judging her bijuu earlier. However, now that it was her turn, she was finding it difficult to remember her own words. _What if my bijuu is more like the one Gaara and Mama have instead of the one Yagura-san has?_

She considered the situation. She didn't know what her tailed beast was like. But now that it had asked to speak, she burned in curiosity to know. She thought about the question one more time. _Are you going to talk to your bijuu or not?_

She made her choice. Eyes full of determination, she looked up at Yagura and nodded.

"How do I get in touch with it?" she asked, trying to ignore Roshi's pleading look.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu took a deep breath in and out to calm herself. She made herself remember all of Yagura's instructions and warnings.

_Make sure you are in a safe place where no one will interrupt. Close your eyes and concentrate. Meditate and enter your mind space. Look for your bijuu once you're there. Listen to it, but obey nothing. Don't destroy the seal or let it out._

She leaned back against the tree, looked around the empty forest, and stared up at the sky. For a few minutes, she watched the clouds drift by from behind the canopy. She sighed. _Well, there's no going back now._

Fuu closed her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, focusing her mind on her breath. She felt a pulling sensation originating from somewhere near her navel, similar to the force that took her to the Room. She allowed it to whisk her away.

When Fuu opened her eyes, she blinked twice as she found herself in one of the school hallways. She looked around, but she saw no one else. _Every mind space is different,_ she remembered Yagura telling her. _Why is my mind space at my school, though?_

She shivered before she walked down the familiar hall toward her classroom. She could sense a strong chakra nearby and she followed its call. A few minutes later, she found the door to her class. She placed her hand on the hinge to open it.

With a nervous gulp, she slid the door open. To her surprise, instead of her normal bright classroom, she could see only darkness. Her breath froze in the sudden cold and she swallowed. Part of her wanted to turn around, slam the door closed behind her, and run away to never come back. However, her bijuu wanted something and it had gone through the trouble of sending a message through another bijuu to achieve that goal. _I can't ignore it now!_

Forcing her body to act, she placed her right foot inside the darkness. She gulped and moved her left foot in front of it. Taking tiny steps, she walked inside. Her breathing was labored and she wanted to cry, but slowly she forced herself to enter the darkness. She felt a second of victory and pride when the door suddenly slammed shut behind her.

With a gasp, she turned around to leave, but her escape had vanished, leaving her alone in the dark. She tried to feel for the door, but her hands felt only air. She clutched her hands together close to her body as her eyes tried in vain to see. _This was a mistake, I have to leave._

She rubbed her hands against her eyes and felt tears forming. She jumped when she heard a clicking noise emanating from the darkness.

"Wh-wh-who's there?!" Fuu stuttered.

She saw a point of light. In the darkness, the effect was almost blinding, and she moved a hand in front of her eyes to shield herself. Biting her lip, Fuu hesitated for only a moment before she ran toward the source._ Please be the way out._

As she approached the light, she nearly crashed against the bars of a jail cell and her heart sank. Tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks but she didn't care. _How do I get out of here!?_

She looked through the bars and yelped when she saw a giant shape moving inside. It traveled closer and Fuu jumped away from the bars with a scream. She landed on the floor and looked up at the hulking beast.

_It looks like a rhinoceros beetle._ A soft orange glow emanated from behind the helmet that made up its head. Two giant pincers covered a mouth full of sharp teeth. It had six legs, three on each side. From farther back, Fuu saw six tails that looked like wings while its seventh tail grew from the end of its abdomen.

Fuu wanted to scream at the sight but her body refused to obey. She was glued to the floor and her throat was paralyzed. She waited for the beast to escape its cage and eat her.

"**So you finally came!"** it said in a sharp and grating voice. **"I'm glad Isobu-kun set the message!"**

Fuu unfroze. The beast sounded... happy?

"W-what?" Fuu asked dumbly. She stared wide-eyed at the giant insect. She heard a chattering noise that might have been giggling.

"**I'm Lucky Seven Chomei!"** the insect announced. **"I told Isobu-kun to send a message for me since I couldn't contact you directly yet."**

"I... I... My..." Fuu wanted to respond but her mind ran a mile a minute as it processed the new situation.

The insect giggled again. **"I know your name,"** it said with a chattering noise. **"I've been watching you for a long time. I'm glad we could finally get to know each other."**

"I... I..." Fuu swallowed and cleared her throat. "Why did you call me here, Chomei-sama?" she asked.

"**Ooh, polite aren't you? You don't have to be so formal! Just call me Chomei!"** the insect said.

"Chomei?" Fuu repeated. Her experience in her own mind was getting more and more strange._ I thought bijuu were supposed to be really arrogant._

"**That's me!"** Chomei replied, its voice full of cheer. **"I'm glad we finally got to meet each other, Fuu-chan! I guess you have a lot of questions for me? I'll answer as best as I can before we get down to business."**

Fuu swallowed again as she tried to get her thoughts in order. She had a lot of questions, but she had no idea where to start. After some consideration, her brain caught onto one thing she had wondered since she heard Chomei speaking.

"Chomei," Fuu began. "Are you a boy or a girl?" Their voice had sounded neither particularly masculine nor particularly feminine. She wasn't sure how to refer to the insect and she didn't want to be impolite.

Chomei clicked its pincers together in a way that reminded Fuu of a human rubbing their chin in thought.

"**I don't really know,"** Chomei answered eventually.** "We bijuu are manifestations of chakra, so we don't have gender the same way you humans do. My siblings have decided on genders for themselves though. I suppose if I were to choose, I would say that I'm both and neither."**

"Both and neither?" Fuu tilted her head to the side in confusion.

Chomei moved its head in a way that might have been a nod. **"I am simply me. You may refer to me however you wish. He, she, it, they... it doesn't matter. I am Lucky Seven Chomei and I can't be categorized into a single box so easily."**

Fuu nodded. She hadn't known it was possible to be anything other than a boy or a girl. _It sounds cool though_. "Okay, Chomei," she answered.

"**Good! Do you have anything else you want to know?"**

"Uh..." Fuu racked her brain for ideas, but her mind drew a blank.

Chomei giggled again. **"Don't worry! Now that we've opened up communication, we can talk to each other without you needing to come to my space. You can ask me anything later."**

"Thanks, Chomei," Fuu answered, smiling for the first time since she arrived at the prison. "Why did you want to talk to me?"

"**Because of what you said to that brat!"** Chomei answered cheerfully as it slithered closer to the bars to inspect Fuu. **"Don't you remember? 'I bet my bijuu is really nice but since no one has ever talked to it, everyone thinks it's evil!' It was one of the best things I've heard in a long while."**

"Thanks!" Fuu answered with a smile. She was glad to see her indignation had been for something. "Why did you send the message through Yagura-san, though?"

"**Our seal doesn't permit it,**" Chomei explained. **"I couldn't talk to you unless you talked to me first. Since I didn't know when that might happen, I asked Isobu-kun to send a message for me."**

"**I've been watching you try to get into the archives,"** Chomei continued. **"Your chakra control is too weak to climb up and the distance between the tree and the window is too wide to jump. I know a way to help you with that."**

"Oh?" Fuu asked. Her bijuu was much nicer than she had expected. "Well, I'm glad we could talk! I was a little afraid of meeting you, Chomei, because Shukaku is really mean to Gaara and Mama says his bijuu is really stubborn."

"**Mama?" **Chomei clicked their pincers together.

Fuu nodded. "Roshi-san. He has the Four Tails. He says he has a monkey bijuu and that it's rude and mean."

Chomei made a chattering sound that Fuu realized was laughter.** "I'm not surprised! Shukaku has always been an impulsive idiot while Son is too arrogant for his own good," **Chomei said. **"Don't worry! You have Lucky Seven Chomei at your side! We can do amazing things together."**

Fuu nodded and beamed at her bijuu. "So you want to thank me for what I said to Shibuki?" Fuu asked with a tilt of her head.

"**I do, but there's more to it than that,"** Chomei fluttered its wings. **"I have a plan to help you get into the archives."**

"A plan?" Her heart began beating frantically. She had been trying for almost a week to sneak into Hisen's office but had failed every time.

Chomei nodded and stared into her eyes. Their pincers shifted into what could almost be described as a smile. **"Yes," **they said. **"I'm going to teach you how to fly."**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu stood under the window to Hisen's office once again. For the past week, she had been getting to know Chomei. They were funny and interesting, often interrupting lectures in school to tell Fuu a story or add information. The only downside was that Hana and Rin had been giving her weird looks whenever she giggled to herself.

_'I got lucky with my bijuu.'_

_**'You sure did, Fuu-chan!' **_Chomei replied. Fuu smiled to herself.

She breathed in and out to calm her nerves. Around her was a thick blanket of snow. Anyone with half a brain had already gone inside where it was cozy and warm. Fuu, meanwhile, had mild treason to commit.

_**'You will feel a pull of chakra. Focus on that pull and my tails will appear as physical manifestations,'**_ Chomei said.

Fuu closed her eyes and concentrated. Within seconds, she felt a source of chakra that felt simultaneously new and familiar. Wary, she called the chakra to her, letting it travel through her body and settle at her waist.

She breathed out and opened her eyes. She looked down. Her body floated a few inches off the ground because of the insect wings that had sprouted from her lower back.

_**'I told you I could teach you,'**_ Chomei's voice said smugly.

_'Thank you, Chomei!'_

_**'You're welcome!**_**' **Chomei answered._** 'Now, practice flying a little. You don't want to crash into the window and leave a trail!'**_

Fuu knew she had the best bijuu. What tailed beast could teach their jinchuuriki how to fly?

Willing her new wings to obey, she floated higher up. To her surprise and amazement, when she looked down, the ground was farther away than before. Determined, she moved her wings to take her over the tree, where she hovered for a few seconds. The wings obeyed her every command.

_What more can I do? _Curiously, she tested her wings. To her delight, they were easier to control than she had expected. She wondered if Chomei had something to do with their ease of use.

From the tree, she flew through the sky, ascending and descending as she wished. She did a taijutsu kata in the sky and found it almost easier than if she were on the ground. She struggled to hold back her laughter and instead chuckled as silently as possible._ Flying is the best!_

_**'Didn't you have a mission?**_' Chomei's shrill voice interrupted, voice full of amusement.

_'Argh! I almost forgot!' _Fuu heard Chomei chuckling at her words.

Chastened, Fuu descended slowly and hovered next to the window to the archives. She checked for traps or alarms but saw nothing.

_'Hisen-sama needs better security.'_

_**'No kidding. Any half-decent shinobi who knows how to walk on walls could sneak in and steal intel. You should tell your village leader to be more careful.'**_

_'But then, how would I get in?'_

_**'Good point. Now, open the window and go inside. I don't think we have any time to waste.'**_

Fuu opened the window cautiously, waiting for a trap she might have missed. Nothing attacked and she could only hear her own breathing and the breeze from outside. She sighed in relief as she climbed through the window and stepped inside.

'_If I were a scroll containing classified information about Takigakure missing-nin, where would I be?' _Fuu asked herself.

_**'Check the labels,' **_Chomei answered._** 'Disturb as little as possible.'**_

Following their instructions, Fuu walked to the nearest stack of scrolls. She began to read through the labels. _Trade. Taxes. Mission logs. Genin list. Chuunin list. Jounin list. Nothing looks promising._

_**'Don't give up, there are a lot of books and scrolls to check through.'**_

Fuu nodded, although she knew that Chomei couldn't see. She flew to look at the contents on one of the high shelves. _Missing-nin_, she read on the spine of a book. Her heart began beating faster in anticipation.

Hopeful, she took the book and floated back down to the ground. She took out a candle she had brought with her and lit it to read. She swallowed before opening the book to the first page.

_**'What are you looking for, anyway?'**_ Chomei asked.

_'Yagura-san said he saw a tall man with his face covered and green eyes. He said he looked really scary.'_

_**'Good to know. I'll help you look. We have two sets of eyes here.'**_

Fuu didn't have a long time to read and she couldn't risk taking the book with her. She scanned through the first few pages. However, none of the pictures and drawings looked like what Yagura had described.

Losing her patience, she flipped through the most recent additions to the list. She tried not to despair as she moved further into the past. The list of Takigakure missing-nin was short— many already crossed out by Hisen or other previous village heads.

She was ready to close the book in frustration when she saw a drawing of someone who fit Yagura's description.

_'This is him!'_ she said to Chomei.

_**'Are you sure?' **_Chomei asked skeptically. _**'This profile is ancient. He would be either an old man or dead already.'**_

Fuu frowned. Chomei's words made sense. Yet, based on everything Yagura had said, he was the only person that looked anything like his description.

_'Maybe Yagura saw his son or something?' _She read the biography.

_Kakuzu of Takigakure. S-Rank missing-nin. After a failed mission in Konoha, Kakuzu defected from Takigakure, killing the village elders and stealing their hearts. During his escape, he also stole the forbidden Earth Grudge Fear jutsu which grants him immortality by taking the still-beating hearts of other people. Approach with extreme caution._

Fuu's heart beat faster and faster as she read through the profile. When she finished, she closed the book with shaking fingers as all the pieces fell into place. Fuu shivered.

_'I hope I never run into him! Immortal and takes the still-beating hearts from people? What kind of monster is he? That's why no one could find him in the newest version of the bingo books! He's been a missing-nin for over sixty years!'_

_**'I know! Talk about creepy!' **_Chomei added.

Fuu bit her lip before opening the book again. She read the short passage one more time, whispering the words to herself in order to memorize them. She couldn't afford to miss any detail.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto stared up at the entrance of the Academy and grinned.

He hoped he and Hinata would be in the same class. He hadn't seen her since they met, but he wanted to keep their promise to be friends.

Around him, the other students entered the school, most being dropped off by relatives. He saw some older students returning from spring break, but the majority seemed to be new like him. A few appeared anxious about joining the school while others were as excited as he was.

With a spring in his step, Naruto stepped inside. He found the classroom the Hokage had told him about, Class 1-B, and entered. He was one of the first students there. Excited, he looked around to search for Hinata, but either she hadn't arrived or was in another classroom. His heart sank, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that at least they could talk at lunchtime.

He sat down in the middle of the classroom and looked around at the other students. In the back corner was a boy with spiky hair yawning next to a chubby boy eating potato chips. At the front of the classroom was a dark-haired boy reading a book. Giggling girls surrounded him, trying to talk to him. However, he only looked annoyed as he ignored them.

Naruto snorted. He didn't understand what was so special about him. Already bored, he fidgeted in his seat and looked around the classroom. He wondered how much longer he had to wait for the teacher to arrive. He was eager to get started. He tapped his foot, shaking the desk, and received a glare from the girl sitting next to him.

"Eh, sorry," he said while scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Just a little nervous, ya know. I don't suppose you want to be friends?"

"With you?" the girl scoffed and left the table, moving to sit somewhere near the front of the class.

Naruto felt his face heat up in embarrassment. _Why did I expect anything different just because we're now in school?_

Frustrated, he glared at the chalkboard, hoping for their teacher to come in soon. _I wish Gaara or Hinata were here._

To his relief, he didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, a kunoichi entered the classroom, holding a stack of books. She had wavy hair and wore oval glasses.

"Settle down, kids!" the woman yelled and dropped the books on the table with a thump. "My name is Suzume and you are to refer to me as Suzume-sensei, got it?"

"Yes, Suzume-sensei," all of them answered.

"Good!" Suzume said with a pleased smile. "Now, before we start, I think we should all introduce ourselves. Please tell us your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and your dreams. I'll start. I like flowers and flower arranging and dislike when men underestimate the power of a kunoichi. I enjoy reading and cleaning in my free time. My dream is to one day enjoy peace and tranquility in Konoha."

From there, everyone took their turn to talk about themselves. Naruto listened intently, trying to remember everyone. Over time, however, their names started to blur as they moved through the classroom. He sat up curiously and made it a point to listen to the boy who had been surrounded by girls earlier. _Is he a big deal or something?_

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," the boy said. "I enjoy spending time with my brother and dislike weakness. In my free time, I train with my brother or my cousins. My dream is to one day be as strong as my brother."

At the end of his introduction, a gaggle of girls sighed dreamily as Sasuke sat down. Naruto ground his teeth in annoyance. _What the heck is with this guy? Why the fan club?_

Eventually, it was Naruto's turn, and he stood up. A few of the other children glared at him. Undeterred, he smiled at them.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he began. "I like ramen and spending time with Old Man Teuchi and Ayame nee-san. I don't like the time it takes to make ramen. My hobby is training! And... gardening, I guess? My dream is to one day be the Hokage, ya know?"

A few of the children burst out in fits of laughter and Naruto felt his face go red, in anger or indignation, he wasn't sure.

"You? Hokage?" one boy at the front says. "As if! You're just a loser no one likes!"

Naruto grit his teeth and growled at the boy, fist raised. "Just watch! I'm gonna be Hokage one day and you're gonna have to listen to me!"

Naruto looked at Suzume for help, but she said nothing, holding a hand up to her mouth to stifle her giggles. He looked around the room, but only the sleepy-looking boy, his friend at the back, and Sasuke were silent. With a huff of impatience, Naruto sat down, glaring at the desk.

"Now, now, children," Suzume finally said. "We all have our... dreams. Let's continue with the introductions."

Defeated, Naruto placed his chin on the desk and tuned out everyone else. He only listened when the boy at the back introduced himself as Shikamaru, giving his likes as watching clouds and sleeping. His friend followed him, stating his name as Choji and his hobbies as eating. Naruto decided that once he was Hokage, he would make sure they only go on easy missions for not laughing at him.

The few hours he spent in that class were some of the most excruciating in his short life.

Once they finished with introductions, Suzume handed out their textbook. She explained that they would spend the morning practicing their reading and writing skills. Naruto felt panic in the pit of his stomach. He was terrible with kanji and characters always seemed to turn around and move whenever he had to read. He was fine reading by himself because he could take as much time as necessary. He dreaded having to read out loud in front of others.

Eventually, Suzume called on him to read and Naruto stood up with the book in shaking fingers. He cleared his throat, but he was only delaying the inevitable. He tried to read well, but he stumbled often and his speed was slow. When he finished the passage, he slumped down on his chair and he heard the others giggle at his misery.

He only perked up when it was Sasuke's turn to read, hoping for the other boy to fail. However, he read the passage perfectly, not making a single mistake. When he finished reading and sat down, he heard sighs of admiration from not only the girls, but the teacher and some boys as well. Naruto ground his teeth.

After reading, they moved onto math and Naruto had never felt more stupid. At least with reading, he could guess what the next character was. For math, he understood nothing and the teacher refused to explain anything to him. Suzume only slowed the pace when Shikamaru raised a hand and asked her to explain, giving him time to catch up.

When the bell rang to release them from lunch, Naruto breathed a huge sigh of relief. _That was terrible._

He waited for all the other students to run out before leaving the classroom with the lunchbox Roshi had forced him to make. He peered out of the door and turned his head to glance down the hallways. He found Hinata standing at the end of the hall, a small bento box clutched in her hands.

"Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan!" he yelled as he ran up to her with a grin. "You're here too! Do you wanna eat lunch together?"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked almost surprised to see him and she glanced down at her feet. "You remember me?"

Naruto snorted and grabbed onto her hand. "Of course I do. We're friends now, ya know?"

"F-friends?"

"Friends!" Naruto started to lead her away before remembering that she hadn't accepted his offer. A feeling of shame settled into the pit of his stomach and he let go of her hand. "I mean... if you want."

He readied himself for rejection, but Hinata squeezed his hand instead. "Friends," she said with a smile.

Feeling happy for the first since school started, he returned her smile. Side by side, they walked out to the courtyard. They sat down at a bench away from most of the students.

Naruto's food was simple: rice with a hardboiled egg, furikake, and steamed vegetables he had promised Roshi to eat. It was basic but filling. In comparison, Hinata's bento looked like a professional had prepared it. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He would ask Roshi to teach him how to make those egg omelets later.

Naruto and Hinata talked about their day, comparing their experiences so far. Hinata's class was friendly according to her. Nothing interesting had happened except for a boy named Kiba jumping up on the desk. She let Naruto rant about his experience, sympathetic to his plight.

"You can be the Hokage, Naruto-kun," she said with a smile.

Naruto grinned in return. It was nice to see his dream validated by someone that was not a jinchuuriki. They spend the rest of their lunch break talking about whatever came to mind. He learned about Hinata's baby sister Hanabi, whom she adored, and about the rest of her family, including her strict father and gentle mother.

When the bell rang to indicate the end of their lunch break, Naruto didn't want to leave. _I wonder if I can ask Gramps to transfer me to Hinata's class._

Naruto and Hinata walked back together, chatting, before waving goodbye at each other. Naruto gulped before stepping back into the classroom. He wanted to leave and run back home. However, Yugito had threatened to teach him how to play the shamisen if he ever skipped class. Her threats were always real, too.

He entered the classroom to find it in chaos. The students were rowdier after their lunch break and they all turned to sneer at him as he walked in. He forced himself not to flinch under their gaze. Keeping his head high, he sat down at his desk, staring intently at his nails and waiting for Suzume to come back.

The afternoon passed by in the same way as in the morning. Naruto was confused by new kanji and the characters continued to turn around whenever he tried to read.

However, once Suzume moved onto talking about practical aspects of shinobi life and history, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He had eight other people lecturing him about what it was like to be a ninja. He sat up eagerly at the change of topic.

"Now, who can tell me who the first Hokage was?" Suzume asked with the air of someone not expecting anyone to know. No one answered as they all racked their brains.

"Yes, Naruto, do you have a question?" she asked when Naruto raised his hand.

"Hashirama Senju," Naruto answered.

"What?" Suzume blinked and all the students turned to look at him. Naruto tried not to squirm under their gaze.

"Hashirama Senju," Naruto repeated. "He was the first Hokage. He founded Konoha with his friend Madara Uchiha and his brother Tobirama Senju. He was called the God of Shinobi. His younger brother eventually became the Second Hokage. When Madara Uchiha rebelled, he was forced to fight and defeat his friend."

The classroom was silent at Naruto's answer. He tensed under their stupefied reactions as he looked around the classroom. Shikamaru gave him a calculating look from the back of the class. Meanwhile, Sasuke scowled for some reason that Naruto couldn't begin to comprehend.

"Th-that's right," Suzume said, pushing her glasses up in surprise. "How did you learn about that, Naruto?"

"Read it in a book." Naruto shrugged._ Han taught me. He forced me to buy a book about the history of Konoha and tell him about everything I read._

"As if! You can't even read, you idiot!" one student said. Naruto felt his face burn in a combination of anger and embarrassment.

The rest of the class burst into laughter and it took a while for Suzume to calm everyone. Defeated, Naruto refused to answer any other questions, even though he knew the answers to almost everything Suzume asked.

The rest of the day dragged on. Naruto breathed a huge sigh of relief when the bell rang to release them for the day. He stood up to leave.

"Wait, kids!" Suzume yelled and everyone turned to look at her. "Before I forget, we will have a physical exam on Saturday! We will test your physical conditioning and set a baseline for improvement. We will also have our first practice match. We may force any students who do not meet the basic standards to leave the school."

A few of the children muttered amongst themselves nervously at the announcement. Shikamaru, meanwhile, only yawned and walked out. Chouji followed close behind him eating a bag of chips. Sasuke nodded solemnly at the news before glaring at Naruto and walking out. Naruto only shrugged. _This'll be a piece of cake._

He ran out of the classroom and went on the lookout for Hinata. However, when he found her, the same teenager from before was leading her out by the hand. He only managed to shout goodbye before she disappeared among the crowds, waving at him.

With a pout, Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest and began to head home. However, before he could leave, he felt someone pulling him back by the elbow.

"How do you know about Madara Uchiha?" Sasuke glared at him, a furious frown on his face.

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"I said, how do you know about Madara Uchiha?" Sasuke asked again, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Naruto snorted. "I read it in a book. What does it matter, anyway?" Naruto tried to shake Sasuke off, but he pulled him back.

"How is an outsider like you familiar with my clan's history?" he demanded. "Outsiders aren't supposed to know about our clan."

"So what if I know?" Naruto retorted. "What do you want me to do? Erase the information from my mind?"

"Tell me the truth! There is no way you learned about Madara in a book!" Sasuke shouted. "You don't even know how to read!"

Naruto growled and grabbed onto the front of Sasuke's shirt. He clenched his teeth and watched as Sasuke glared at him. "I know how to read, ya know! It just takes me a while!"

Sasuke grunted and grabbed onto Naruto's shirt as well. Frustrated with the events of the day, Naruto got ready to punch Sasuke in the face. From the look in Sasuke's eyes, he could tell that his classmate felt the same way.

"Sasuke! What are you doing!?" a feminine voice interrupted.

Both Naruto and Sasuke froze. They turned to look at the source of the voice. A pretty woman with long straight black hair walked closer. The look of disappointment in her eyes reminded Naruto of when Roshi had scolded him for eating only ramen for three days.

"Mom?" Sasuke asked with a start.

Naruto let go of his shirt and tried his radiate an aura of innocence. He knew, however, that any adult would side with their own son over Naruto. He prepared himself for the familiar scorn from all the adults in his life. He stared at the ground and watched the woman's sandals walk closer.

"Sasuke! Fighting on the first day?" she scolded. "Itachi and your father would feel so disappointed."

"But, Mom!" Sasuke whined and Naruto glanced at him briefly and was glad to see the panic in Sasuke's eyes. "He started it! He knows stuff about our clan! He knows about Madara Uchiha! He knows Madara was friends with the First Hokage!"

"And? That's public information anyone can read in a book," the woman answered with a heavy sigh. Naruto snickered. _That's what I said!_

"But, Mom, I-"

"No excuses, Sasuke," the woman interrupted. "I will speak to your father about this. Fighting over something so petty... Itachi would have never done that on his first day of school!"

Sasuke flinched back, and he stared down at his feet, the very picture of admonishment. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Hesitantly, he turned his gaze to look up at the woman.

From close up, she was prettier than she had appeared from a distance, with unblemished pale skin. She had large black eyes and her eyebrows were creased into a small frown as she stared at Sasuke. Side by side, Naruto realized that Sasuke looked a lot like his mother.

"I'm sorry about Sasuke," the woman said with a small bow of her head in apology. "I was hoping he would make friends. What's your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto answered warily. He awaited the all too familiar glare but to his surprise, it didn't come. Instead, he saw a flash of recognition in her eyes that was soon followed by a smile.

"Ah, Naruto-kun," she said. "Please forgive my son. I was hoping you two would be friends."

"Oh, uh... that's okay," Naruto answered, bewildered at her response. _Where's the hate? Why doesn't she tell Sasuke to stay away from me?_

"My name is Mikoto Uchiha," the woman introduced herself. "It's very nice to meet you." She looked back down at Sasuke and her gaze hardened. "Now, Sasuke, apologize to Naruto before we go home."

Sasuke pouted and shifted his feet in anger. Nevertheless, he sighed, and he turned to Naruto. "I'm sorry," he said insincerely.

"That's okay," Naruto answered politely.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he turned around to leave.

With a sigh of exasperation, Mikoto watched Sasuke walking away. She looked down at Naruto and smiled. Naruto felt shivers of some indescribable emotion course through his body. _People aren't usually so nice to me._

"It's very nice to meet you, Naruto-kun," she said. "I hope one day you and Sasuke will be good friends."

"It's nice to meet you too, Uchiha-san," he answered while scratching the back of his neck self-consciously. "I... I don't know if we can be friends though, ya know?"

She chuckled. "Well, I can always hope."

She walked away, leaving Naruto standing near the exit of the Academy in confusion. He felt like she was someone he was supposed to know, but he didn't have any idea why. Confused, he walked home, trying to put into words his feelings. He had a lot to tell the other jinchuuriki.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"And on top of all that, he accuses me of being unable to read!" Naruto ranted. Yugito, Yagura, Fuu, and Roshi listened attentively, offended on his behalf. They had been letting him vent for the past couple of minutes, wincing and muttering when appropriate.

"What an asshole," Yagura said. Roshi glared at him for the foul language but Yagura only raised an eyebrow.

"I know!" Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and pouted. "But the look on his face when his mom made him say sorry was awesome, ya know!"

Fuu giggled and she leaned forward to ruffle his hair. "Reading is a little hard for me too, Naruto-kun," she said. "Kanji is the worst!"

"Yeah, well, now everyone thinks I'm stupid," Naruto complained. "Suzume-sensei asked a lot of questions I didn't wanna answer cause they were just gonna make fun of me." The others winced sympathetically.

"When do you start your shinobi training, Naruto?" Yugito asked, leaning casually back on the floor using the palms of her hands.

"Not until next year," Naruto said. "We're gonna have some kind of physical conditioning exam this Saturday, though. We're gonna have a spar, too."

"Sparring?" Yagura repeated before grinning. "How about I teach you a few tricks? Your classmates won't make fun of you once they see how well you can fight."

"You'd do that for me, Yagura-san?" Naruto looked at him admiringly. "Yugito and Fuu have been teaching me a little taijutsu already, ya know."

"My style of fighting might not be what's most suitable for you, Naruto-chan," Yugito explained. "Yagura would probably be a better option. You are shorter than most of your classmates. You need techniques that can take advantage of that height difference."

"Are you calling me short?" Yagura asked, annoyed.

"You are short, Yagura," Roshi said with a smirk.

"Look who's talking!" Yagura stood up to point at Roshi. "You're only an inch taller than me at the most!"

"I think it's more than that, Yagura-san," Fuu added cheerfully.

Yugito snorted. "Roshi-san is definitely more than one inch taller than you, _Mizukage-sama_." Despite the honorific, Yugito made the title sound sarcastic.

Naruto watched the argument break out and grinned. He might only have Hinata in Konoha, but in the Room, he was never alone. With their help, he would dazzle everyone on Saturday and hopefully wipe the smug look off of Sasuke's face.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: No more dead moms for now. Hinata's mother is alive because I want her to be. Sasuke is one of my favorite characters even though I used to hate him so much. His arc and story in this fic will be VERY different than in canon, however.**

**My Tumblr is waffledogwrites, if you want to get in touch with me for whatever reason!**

**Next chapter: more rivalry.**


	16. Rivals

**In which a rivalry forms and Gaara meets some family members.**

**Warning for depictions of death in this chapter (of unnamed background characters).**

**O-O-O-O-O**

For Sasuke, the first week at the Academy was a dull affair.

He already knew everything they had covered so far, and he wished he could skip ahead a few years. Every day he was increasingly frustrated with all his classmates since no one else was on his level. The worst one was the loud blond boy named Naruto.

After demonstrating his inexplicable knowledge of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, he had only shown himself to be an idiot. He was loud and talked only about becoming the Hokage, despite being barely able to read. Sasuke tried to ignore him, but the other boy was too loud for him to tune out completely.

The only thing Sasuke had to look forward to was the fitness exam. According to Itachi, at least half of the students failed when they didn't meet the benchmarks. Not everyone had the physical conditioning to become shinobi, after all. Sasuke looked forward to never seeing the loudmouth ever again.

On Saturday morning, Sasuke was the first to arrive at the training grounds. He watched as the other children showed up one by one. Most fretted and muttered with their friends in nervous groups. A few did some stretching or warm-up exercises.

He looked around at some of his classmates and snorted. Except for some children from the clans of Konoha, he doubted anyone could come close to his level. He looked around once again and was unsurprised that Naruto had yet to show up. _Figures. I bet he was all talk and too chicken to show his face._

He waited impatiently for the teachers. One minute before the exam was set to begin, a streak of orange and yellow arrived panting at the training area. Naruto walked toward the heiress of the Hyuuga clan and collapsed on the ground next to her.

"Argh! Hinata-chan!" he yelled while wheezing. "I woke up late and I had to run over here!"

"Oh, Naruto-kun," she said with a relieved smile as she squatted down next to him. "I was getting worried you wouldn't come."

Naruto grinned up at her, sweat dripping down his face.

"Should've stayed home," a boy Sasuke didn't care to remember said. "It's not like you're gonna pass, anyway."

Angered, Naruto jumped up from the ground and shook his fist. "Wanna say that to my face?" he yelled. "I'm gonna be Hokage and there is no way I'm failing the exam, ya know!"

The boy and a few other children laughed at Naruto's declarations and shook their heads. Naruto only looked angrier and the Hyuuga heiress placed a hand on his shoulder. In an instant, the boy calmed down and met the girl's eyes with a bright smile.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan," he declared. "I'm sure we'll pass! We're super strong!"

Sasuke held back the snort. He doubted either of them would be anywhere near what he could do. He was about to say something to the loser when a puff of smoke indicated their instructors' arrival.

"Good morning, kids!" a man with a scar across his nose and his hair pulled back in a ponytail greeted with a smile. "In case you don't know me, my name is Iruka."

"My name is Suzume," Suzume-sensei added as she pushed her glasses up her nose.

"We will start with the cardiovascular portion of the exam," Iruka-sensei said. "We have a 100-meter sprint first and will continue with a 5-kilometer endurance run. Are you ready?"

"Yes, sensei!" Naruto said with an excited grin. Iruka looked startled but smiled at the enthusiasm. "Well, in that case, we will begin with the race. When I call your name, head to the starting line."

Iruka called on the first ten students and made them run. When their times were recorded, he called upon the next set of ten.

Sasuke watched the other children in disinterest. Most were as slow as they looked, but a few exceeded his expectations. A boy from the Inuzuka clan sprinted the distance within a few seconds without breaking a sweat. The heiress from the Hyuuga clan and a girl from the Yamanaka clan also got decent results. Everyone else, however, was mediocre at best. He waited impatiently for Iruka to call out his name as he tuned out everyone else.

"...Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki..." Iruka called out a few other people, but Sasuke didn't care about them.

Hands in his pockets, he walked to the starting line. Naruto was already there, bouncing excitedly with a stupid grin on his face. Sasuke wanted to punch him. At least starting next week, he wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

"On your marks!" Suzume shouted as all the students got into position. "Get set... go!"

Sasuke sprinted. He expected to leave everyone in the dust, but to his dismay, Naruto kept up the pace. Sasuke called upon an extra burst of speed, yet, he barely arrived at the finish line before Naruto.

He glared, panting, at the other boy and was mortified to see that Naruto was not even breathing hard. Instead, he stomped his feet, complaining about coming in second. _How is he so fast? And how come he's not winded?_

Unnerved, Sasuke rejoined the other students. They whispered amongst themselves about Naruto's results. Ignoring their classmates, Naruto joined the Hyuuga heiress's side to talk. They chatted amicably as they compared results. For the first time, Sasuke wondered how two completely different people became friends.

"Well, we have the final results for the first test!" Suzume announced and the students turned to listen. "First place, we have Sasuke Uchiha with a record of 11.14 seconds. Second place..." Suzume paused to push up her glasses in disbelief, "we have Naruto Uzumaki with a record of 11.35 seconds. In third place, Kiba Inuzuka with 12.15 seconds."

A lot of his fellow students congratulated Sasuke on the win. However, he could only grind his teeth in frustration. He forced himself to maintain his calm facade. Naruto might have come close, but he doubted anyone would beat him in the other stages.

"Well, now that that's settled," Iruka said, "we will start the 5-kilometer endurance run. Everybody, please head to the starting line. Remember to pace yourself."

Sasuke grunted in assent and walked to the starting position. When all the students had joined and Suzume had finished explaining their route, she shouted for them to start.

Predictably, the other students fell back and Sasuke took the lead. He smirked to himself. _This is gonna be so easy._

A few seconds later, however, Naruto joined at his side with a mocking smile.

"Taking the lead early, huh," he said while jogging. "You might be faster overall, but you can't beat my stamina, ya know!"

With those parting words, Naruto surpassed Sasuke. Sasuke gritted his teeth and called upon extra speed. He caught up. Naruto lifted his eyebrows in surprise. Annoyed, he frowned and looked away from Sasuke to stare into the distance. Sasuke did the same.

For the first four kilometers, they ran side by side. However, to his dismay, at the four-kilometer mark, Naruto turned to him, smiled, and sped up.

"Sensei said to pace myself," Naruto yelled as he looked back at Sasuke and smirked. "Kiss my ass, jerk!"

With those words, Naruto sprinted away, leaving Sasuke behind. Sasuke clenched his fists in anger. He took a deep breath in and out and forced his legs to move faster. Despite his determination, however, he couldn't catch up. The blond boy crossed the finish line almost a full minute before Sasuke did.

To add insult to injury, Naruto didn't look winded while Sasuke had to make an effort not to collapse on the ground. He glared at Naruto, the palms of his hands on his knees as he tried to get his breath back under control. _What kind of monster endurance does this idiot have?_

Minutes later, the rest of the students crossed the finish line and joined them as they awaited the results. Suzume once again made the announcement. Sasuke forced himself not to glower at the results as everyone looked at Naruto with new eyes.

"W-well, let's continue with the other exams," Suzume said as she dealt with the unexpected results. "We will do some flexibility tests and strength tests. Then some weapons skills, and finally end with a practice spar."

A few students groaned at her instructions. Sasuke knew that none of the complainers would return on Monday. _Good riddance._

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other as their teachers led them to a different part of the training area.

_I'm gonna get the top score, _Naruto's eyes seemed to say.

_Try it, loser,_ Sasuke wanted to respond.

They started their new tests. Despite their shared determination to surpass each other, however, Sasuke and Naruto were tied neck and neck. Sasuke forced himself to call upon more and more energy, but it was almost pointless. Naruto matched and sometimes exceeded his results.

While Sasuke broke the school's push-up record through sheer force of will, Naruto won by balancing on the tightrope for longer than anyone else. Sasuke managed more pull-ups, but Naruto was much more flexible. Sasuke could lift more weight, but Naruto could climb a tree faster.

Because of his training with Itachi, Sasuke hoped to do better in the shuriken and kunai skills portion. However, Naruto's accuracy was admittedly amazing. While Sasuke was better with shuriken, Naruto had better control with kunai. To his dismay, Naruto managed to hit 10 bullseyes to Sasuke's 8.

A few of the weakest students had already given up and left, but Sasuke didn't care about the losers. He only had eyes for Naruto. By the time the sparring sessions started, Sasuke was ahead of Naruto by only one challenge. It was a slim advantage and he vowed to win no matter what it took.

As they were led to the sparring grounds, Sasuke looked around at his classmates. The remaining students were ragged, covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. Even Naruto looked exhausted, his shirt stuck to his body with sweat and face red with exertion. Sasuke dreaded to know what he looked like in the mirror.

"This is the last event of the day," Iruka announced to the remaining students. "There will be no weapons or ninjutsu. Only taijutsu is permitted in these matches. Your opponents are randomized. Do no permanent damage and please try not to hurt each other _too _much."

Everyone nodded obediently, too exhausted to speak. "Good!" Suzume said. "In that case, the first match is between..." she checked her clipboard, "Hinata Hyuuga and Ino Yamanaka."

Two girls entered the arena to stand in front of each other. The blonde girl stood with her feet planted on the ground. She smirked while the dark-haired girl pushed her fingers together in a nervous gesture.

"Yeah! You can do it, Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted from the crowd with a grin on his face.

Upon hearing those words, the girl stood up straight and fell into a fighting position. She bowed briefly to the Yamanaka girl, who blinked and followed her lead with a smaller bow. Suzume counted down and the fight began.

At first, the Yamanaka seemed to have the lead as she avoided the Hyuuga's attacks without effort. However, her evasions tired her out and at an opportune time, the Hyuuga hit the other girl on the shoulder. While it looked like only a glancing blow to him, the blonde girl shrieked in pain and fell to the ground, defeated.

The Hyuuga blinked in surprise at the victory and gave a small smile before helping the girl stand up. She bowed her head and together they linked their fingers together as a show of friendship.

The Hyuuga joined Naruto's side and he started to gush about how "cool" she was. Sasuke tried to tune him out on principle, but the other boy was too loud to ignore completely.

He watched the other students fight. Some matches were unfairly one-sided while others are more interesting and took longer. To his disappointment, Naruto was not matched with Sasuke. Instead, Naruto was called forth to fight against the same boy that had teased him earlier in the day.

The boy gulped and shivered while Naruto smirked. It took only a few seconds for Naruto to take him out. Sasuke snorted._ Naruto wouldn't stand a chance against me, though._

Eventually, Sasuke was called to spar against a slim boy from the Nara clan. To Sasuke's frustration, however, the boy surrendered immediately without a fight. He was forced to watch everyone else's fun instead.

Finally, after hours of fighting, Iruka clapped his hands together. All the exhausted children turned to look at him.

"Everyone who is still here, congratulations!" he said. "I will now announce the final results and the top three winners. Depending on your performance for each test, you received a certain number of points. These points were added together with a possible total of 1000 points."

He cleared his throat and glanced down at his clipboard. "First place, with 695 points out of a possible total of 1000..." Sasuke held his breath in anticipation. "We have Sasuke Uchiha! Congratulations! Second place, with 692 points, we have Naruto Uzumaki. Finally, in third place, we have Kiba Inuzuka with 668 points. Good job to everyone!"

The other students clapped their hands enthusiastically, looking at Sasuke in admiration. Despite their adoration, however, Sasuke couldn't tear his eyes away from Naruto. _Only three points difference? _He gritted his teeth in frustration, his eyes focused on Naruto. The other boy glared back with his hands clenched into fists.

Iruka called out everyone else's names, giving their point totals. He said that anyone with more than 400 points would be allowed to stay in the Academy. He heard sighs of relief from the majority of the remaining students. Iruka and Suzume dismissed them for the day. Before they left, they told them to rest up and get ready for class on Monday. They would be combined into one class now that the worst students had been culled.

With relieved sighs, the remaining students left. However, Sasuke could only grit his teeth in anger. _How can a loser that can barely read do so well in these tests?_

Forcing his face to remain neutral, he shoved his hands inside his pockets. He tried not to pout as he left the other students at the training grounds. Furious, he wandered the school grounds as a way to calm himself. Once everyone else had left, he wandered back to the entrance, where his mother had promised to pick him up.

He sat down at the steps that led to the school. To his surprise, Naruto was nearby, sitting at a swing that hung from a tree a short distance away. The shade from the tree kept Sasuke from making out his features. Yet, based on his posture, he could tell that Naruto was staring at him.

"What are you looking at, loser?" Sasuke shouted with a frown.

"Nothing!" Naruto yelled. "What do you want with me, jerk?"

Angry, Sasuke stood up and stomped closer to the other boy. A three-point difference was almost nothing. He wished they had been chosen as sparring partners. _Then we would know who is truly the strongest one._

He stared down at Naruto, who was sitting on the swing as he glared with all the seriousness possible in a six-year-old.

"Where the heck did you learn all of that?" Sasuke asked. "You don't even know how to read. How were you so good at everything?"

"I know how to read, jerk!" Naruto jumped up from the swing and grabbed onto the front of Sasuke's shirt. "I'm not stupid, ya know!"

Sasuke snorted. "That's not the impression I get."

Sasuke was not sure who ultimately threw the first punch. It might have been him or it might have been Naruto. They might have started swinging at the same time for all he knew. Whatever the case, Sasuke felt a fist smash into his cheek and he winced in pain. He also heard the impact of his own fist on Naruto's face as the other boy cried out in pain.

While Naruto recovered, Sasuke crouched down and tried to trip Naruto with a low kick. Instead of falling, however, the other boy jumped up and retaliated with an attack of his own. Sasuke flipped back and avoided a broken nose by inches. He fell back into the taijutsu stance Itachi had taught him.

Naruto held himself back as well, falling into an unfamiliar taijutsu position. They stared at each other, waiting for the other one to move first.

Sasuke leaped forward with a punch to Naruto's face. Naruto dodged and tried to kick Sasuke from behind. Sasuke jumped up, putting his forearms to protect his face as Naruto went for his nose once again.

Sasuke landed on the ground gracefully and attacked. He tried a second low kick. He smirked when Naruto fell to the ground. Before Sasuke could press his advantage, however, Naruto rolled away. He stood up, falling back into a taijutsu position.

Sasuke took a moment to catch his breath. He saw Naruto take a short rest as well. They stared at each other, waiting to see who would act first.

Sasuke inhaled. When he exhaled, he jumped up and headed toward Naruto, a fist extended to hit him in the face.

As expected, Naruo caught his fist with the palm of his hand. Sasuke smirked. With the momentum from the jump, he twisted and kicked Naruto on the side of his ribs. He heard a grunt of pain as Naruto collapsed. Taking his chance, Sasuke expertly pinned down Naruto's arms with the weight of his knees.

Naruto struggled from under him. However, Sasuke's weight combined with the exercise from earlier in the day meant he was out of energy. Sasuke panted tiredly but grinned to himself in satisfaction.

"I guess we know who's stronger now," he boasted as Naruto growled under him.

"Asshole!" Naruto yelled. His eyes looked shiny, but Sasuke didn't care to figure out why.

"At least I'm not a loser like you," Sasuke retorted.

"Get off of me!" Naruto yelled. "Let's try again!"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "As if you stand a chance. I don't want to-"

Before he could complete his threat, a strong arm pulled Sasuke up and away. He glared at the person who interrupted and his heart sank into his stomach when he saw his mother.

"Sasuke! What's wrong with you? Are you fighting again?" Sasuke struggled briefly, but his mother's grip was made of iron.

Sasuke panicked as he looked up at his furious mother. After the first day of school, she had threatened him with severe punishment if she caught him fighting again. His father had gotten involved as well, admonishing Sasuke while also saying how _Itachi _would have never gotten into a fight with a random boy.

"We were only sparring, Mom!" Sasuke said, holding himself back from wincing at the obvious lie.

"Outside of class?" His mother raised an eyebrow as she stared him down.

Desperate, Sasuke turned to Naruto as a final option. "Sparring! Isn't that right, Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and he looked at Sasuke speculatively. Sasuke almost winced when he saw his face. Naruto had a bruise forming in his eye that would become a black eye. He was covered in dirt and his lower lip was cut and bleeding freely. If he looked like that, Sasuke was afraid to look in the mirror. Sasuke sent Naruto a pleading look. _Please, just tell her we were sparring._

Sasuke saw Naruto considering his silent plea and watched as he contemplated the issue. Time seemed to stretch on and Sasuke's heart threatened to beat out of his chest. _Please, please, please. I'll get in so much trouble if she thinks I'm fighting._

Naruto smiled and Sasuke's stomach flipped over itself in worry. "That's right, Uchiha-san!" Naruto lied easily. "We were only sparring! I guess we got a little carried away, ya know!"

Sasuke wanted to breathe out a sigh of relief, but his mother still had her hand wrapped around his arm.

She hummed. "Is that so?"

"Yes, Uchiha-san," Naruto said meekly as he bowed his head down in apology. "We'll be more careful next time. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

"Y-yes." Sasuke couldn't help but stutter slightly in surprise. I_ can't believe this loser is going along with this._

His mother raised an eyebrow in obvious disbelief and Sasuke's heart threatened to beat out of his chest. However, considering Naruto's words, she seemed to find their excuse acceptable. Sasuke waited for what felt like hours for his mother to speak again.

"Well, in that case, you need to be more careful," his mother said. "You can easily hurt each other if you don't hold back. I think both of you are going to be bruised for a few days at the very least. It won't look pretty."

"Yes, mom," Sasuke said in his meekest voice, burning up at the realization that Naruto was watching him.

"Of course, Uchiha-san!" Naruto said with a grin. To his surprise, Sasuke saw that one of his teeth was missing. He felt an involuntary pang of guilt. He hoped it would grow back quickly.

His mother shifted her gaze between them, trying to get either one to crack, but Sasuke was silent and Naruto only smiled. The gap caused by his missing tooth only served to make him look more innocent.

After what felt like ages, his mother sighed and finally let go of Sasuke's arm. Sasuke forced himself not to rub at the place where her hand had been.

"Well, Sasuke, say goodbye to Naruto-kun," his mother ordered. "And then we're going home. I need to clean up those wounds before they get infected."

Sasuke nodded obediently and turned his gaze toward Naruto. "I'll see you later... Naruto." _Loser._

"See you later... Sasuke." _Jerk_.

Sasuke turned to leave and his mother followed behind him with an exasperated sigh. Now that the adrenaline had run its course, he could fully feel the pain from the fight earlier. Sasuke might have won, but Naruto had managed to hit him a few times. Based on how Naruto looked, he was no doubt covered in bruises, cuts, and dirt.

When they arrived back at the Uchiha compound, his mother immediately shepherded him into the bathroom. There, she cleaned his injuries and lectured him about fighting carelessly. Sasuke tuned her out and nodded periodically to keep her satisfied.

At dinner, both Itachi and his father stared at his injuries but said nothing. His mother sighed and shook her head slightly when it seemed like his father was about to speak. Sasuke flushed at the knowledge that his parents would be talking about him later. He went to bed early, exhausted from a long and painful day.

On Sunday, he woke up sore. He cleaned his injuries like his mother had shown him. He spent most of the day in his room, reading books and playing with Itachi's hand-me-downs. His family said nothing about his injuries. Even so, he could tell that they had _discussed _the situation somewhere outside of his hearing.

By Monday morning, the pain had barely lessened. He walked alone to school. He sat down at the front of the new classroom now that the two classes have been grouped into one.

He could tell that his classmates were looking at him in curiosity but Sasuke refused to acknowledge their attention. He stared determinedly at the blank blackboard, trying to project an aura of boredom.

It didn't take long for someone to stand in front of his desk, blocking his view. With an exasperated sigh, he looked up at the face of the person in front of him. He blinked as he took in Naruto.

To his absolute annoyance, Naruto looked completely unmarred, his split lip and black eye already healed. Only his missing tooth remained as evidence of their fight. _What the heck? Is it some kind of kekkei genkai?_

To his surprise, Naruto sat in the chair next to his and Sasuke turned to look at him. He waited for Naruto to speak and enjoyed watching the other boy squirm as he got his words in order.

"What do you want, loser?" Sasuke finally asked once he saw that Naruto refused to talk.

Instead of the familiar anger, Naruto only looked uncomfortable. "I just... wanna know if you want to practice sparring after class, ya know?"

Sasuke blinked. "Practice?"

Naruto nodded. "Practice. You're stronger than me right now, but one day, I'm gonna beat you!"

It was Sasuke's turn to blink. "I thought you hated me."

"I kinda do, but I can admit when I need more practice. What d'ya say?"

"Hn, fine. Just don't slow me down."

"Thanks, jerk," Naruto said with a roll of his eyes. "I need to be the strongest person if I ever want to be Hokage, ya know!"

With that final message, he left Sasuke's side to sit somewhere in the middle of the classroom. Sasuke almost wanted to turn around and look, but he had some pride left. He sighed and waited for class to start.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara liked ninjutsu training with Baki.

While the other jinchuuriki had already taught him some of the basics, with his time limit, he preferred playing more than training with them. Baki, on the other hand, focused exclusively on ninjutsu. He tasked him with exercises to improve his sand control and lectured him about chakra.

He had given Gaara a large gourd where he could store his chakra-infused sand. At first, Gaara struggled to lift it, until he figured out that the sand could carry itself. After that, he took his large gourd everywhere he went.

"Your control is improving remarkably fast, Gaara-sama," Baki commented. He watched as Gaara pushed the sand back and forth on the training grounds.

Gaara hummed in acknowledgment but said nothing. He never talked to Baki unless necessary. Baki fell silent as Gaara recalled the sand back into his gourd. He sighed, exhausted. It was sunset, and he had been practicing since dawn to improve his stamina. He stretched and turned to walk back home.

"Wait, Gaara-sama," Baki called out.

Gaara stopped and turned to look at his teacher. For the first time in a long time, Baki looked nervous. His eyes darted back and forth as he refused to look Gaara in the eye. He sighed and walked closer.

"Your father made a request for your presence, Gaara-sama," he said, meeting Gaara's eyes.

Gaara felt a surge of anger. The sand inside the gourd swished back and forth. Baki flinched at the sound and Gaara forced himself to exhale and for his mind to go blank. The sand settled down.

"My father?" Gaara asked with forced calm.

Baki nodded, relieved at his student's self-control. "He wishes to speak to you about taking your first mission."

"First mission?" Gaara was curious despite himself. _Even Fuu nee-chan hasn't gone on her first mission yet._

"Yes, Gaara-sama. He thinks that you are ready to complete your first official mission as a shinobi of Sunagakure."

Gaara hummed to himself before nodding. Baki sighed with obvious relief and together they ran to the Kazekage's office. The man held the door open for Gaara as they entered.

"Kazekage-sama," Baki greeted and bowed down to his father. Gaara stayed silent and still.

"Baki, Gaara," the Kazekage said. "I believe I have the perfect mission for you to get started."

"Of course, Kazekage-sama."

His father nodded. "Good. It's a simple mission. We received reports that a group of bandits is attacking merchants traveling from the capital. They have been disturbing the commerce routes. Your mission is to locate and eliminate them."

With that, the Kazekage extended a small scroll with more relevant information. Baki took it and started to read. "Are they shinobi or civilians?" he asked.

"We have received no sign that they have any shinobi among them," his father answered. "They have only attacked civilians without armed escorts."

Baki nodded. "When shall we set out, Kazekage-sama?"

"Tomorrow evening. You need time to prepare and all reported attacks have occurred in the evening or at night."

"Of course, Kazekage-sama." Baki bowed down and left.

Gaara followed behind his teacher immediately. He didn't want to spend any more time than necessary inside the office. His father said nothing and Baki led them back to Gaara's house.

"I will teach you how to prepare for a mission outside of the village, Gaara-sama," Baki said when they arrived home. "What supplies do you think are most necessary for this mission?"

With that opening question, Baki started the lesson, helping Gaara prepare everything. Gaara listened attentively, focusing on survival techniques for the desert. He needed to know for the inevitable day he left the village.

**O-O-O-O-O**

After the lesson ended and preparations are complete, Baki went to his own home to sleep. Impatient and bored, Gaara could only wait for their mission to start. He visited the Room to talk to the other jinchuuriki, where they played and talked. When they went to sleep, he practiced his sand control just to have something to do.

When Baki finally returned to start the mission, Gaara followed at his heels as they left the village.

Away from Sunagakure, the desert was beautiful and empty. He breathed the clean, dry air. For a second, he felt completely at ease. There were no angry people in his vicinity or anyone to call him a freak. He could live in the desert for the rest of his life.

_Where would you find water, though? And food? Where would you live?_ His thoughts brought him back to reality and he looked down at his feet. He couldn't afford to get his hopes up.

"Reports say the previous attacks happened in this area," Baki explained as they walked on the road that connected Suna with the capital. "We will pretend to be travelers and wait for the bandits to come out."

With that announcement, Baki took out a sealing scroll. With a pulse of chakra and a puff of smoke, their disguises appeared. Baki took out two traveling cloaks, one of which he passed to Gaara to cover his distinctive hair and gourd. Baki opened a second scroll to release a wagon that looked full of expensive trinkets.

Baki looked at Gaara critically and nodded. "You look like a merchant's son," he said. "Stay close to me. We'll travel along the road and wait for anyone to attack."

Gaara nodded. Baki gave him a rare smile and walked on the road, pulling the wagon behind him. Gaara walked beside him.

It didn't take more than an hour for someone to attack. As they walked under the light of the full moon, someone holding a cheap sword jumped in front of Baki.

"Stop and hand over the wagon if you don't want to get hurt," the man threatened.

"W-what do you want with me?" Baki pretended to stutter. "Please, don't hurt my son! I'll do anything you want!"

The bandit smirked. "Good to hear, now step away from the wagon and we'll let you go."

Baki followed the instructions, motioning for Gaara to step back. The bandit chuckled and stepped forward to collect his loot.

"See? That was very easy, wasn't-"

Before the man could complete his boast, Baki threw a kunai. It hit the man through the eye, killing him instantly. Gaara heard an angry shout and two more men jump out from behind the dunes.

Gaara had no chance to strategize. His sand rushed out from his gourd and floated to attack the two new men, wrapping itself around them. They froze and looked pleadingly into Gaara's eyes.

"Wait! Please! Stop! I don't want to die!" one man yelled while the other one sobbed like a child. _This is too easy. Why is this so easy?_

"Gaara..." Baki said. Gaara looked up at his teacher. Baki nodded and Gaara gulped. He knew what he had to do. W_hat would happen if I refused, though?_

The two men cried and begged for their lives, but Gaara had an order, and he knew he had to follow it. He couldn't afford to turn against his father yet._ At the very least I can make this as painless as possible._

Gaara clenched his hands into fists. Immediately, the world fell into absolute silence. Even his heart seemed to have stopped beating. He stared as the blood seeped into the desert sands.

It took a few seconds for his sense of hearing to come back. It took longer to realize the sand had floated back into the gourd without his conscious control. Baki walked to stand at his side.

"Good work, Gaara-sama," Baki complimented.

Gaara nodded in acknowledgment, feeling strangely heavy. He wasn't sure if he could speak even if he wanted to. _It's too easy. No one told me it would be so easy._

Baki stared at Gaara speculatively and Gaara stared back solemnly. They looked at each other for a few seconds in unnerving quiet. _Why is everything so quiet?_

"What's the name of that technique, Gaara-sama?" Baki asked, breaking the silence.

Gaara mulled over the question. "Sand Coffin," he decided.

Baki nodded. "How are you feeling, Gaara-sama?" he asked. "Do you feel anything about your first mission?"

_Yes, I do_. However, Gaara only shook his head. He wanted to talk about his first official kill with somebody, but he couldn't trust anyone in Sunagakure. The other jinchuuriki were the only ones that might understand why his mind and body felt so numb.

Baki opened his mouth as if to speak before reconsidering. With a nervous gulp, he opened the sealing scroll again. With a puff of smoke, all of their supplies for the mission disappeared. He took out three new black scrolls to put away the corpses.

Gaara watched him impassibly as he worked. There was something different but he couldn't put his finger on why. It was only when Baki had packed up and they had turned back home that Gaara realized why everything felt so quiet. _Shukaku._

Ever since the kill, the beast had been silent. He heard no insults, threats, or growls. The only things he could hear were the gentle desert breeze and the sound of their footsteps on the road. The silence was disturbing and Gaara didn't know what to make of it. _Is this what normal people hear?_

The beast was quiet until they reached the outer gates of Sunagakure.

'_**Thanks for the offering, little boy,' **_Shukaku said. _**'I've been missing the smell of blood.'**_

Gaara shuddered. He hoped that Baki dismissed his reaction due to the dropping temperature.

'_What do you want?' _Gaara asked the tanuki spirit.

'_**Give me more blood. That's the only thing I want. I'll even pretend be your mother if you want, so long as you give me blood.'**_

Gaara ignored the bijuu with practiced ease. Nevertheless, the words struck fear into his heart. The beast would only be quiet and satisfied if it received blood offerings? Gaara doubted that would happen often.

After passing through the gates of the village, Gaara expected Baki to dismiss him and separate. However, his teacher signaled for him to wait instead and Gaara turned to look up at the man.

"Gaara-sama, there is only one thing we must do before we part ways."

"What is it?" Gaara asked calmly.

"We must give our mission report. Your father also made a request for our presence."

Gaara's heart began beating faster and the sand inside the gourd swished back and forth. He clenched his hands into fists and looked impassively up at Baki. "Why?" he asked.

"He wished for you to meet your siblings, Gaara-sama," Baki answered. "He wants all of you to work together as a team."

"My siblings?" Gaara racked his brain to remember any information about them. From his birth, he had always been isolated, with only ANBU and his uncle to keep him company.

"Yes, Gaara-sama," Baki answered. "He believes that your brother and sister would be suitable as your teammates."

Gaara nodded hesitantly as he started walking toward his father's office. Baki followed close behind him in silence. Gaara's stomach turned over itself and a wave of nausea hit him. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but he didn't allow it to show on his face.

In the back of his mind, Gaara always knew that he had siblings. His uncle had mentioned them a few times, although they had never met in person. After his uncle's death, he had seen two children a few times at his father's side from a distance. _So those were my brother and sister. I'm finally going to meet them._

Together, Baki and Gaara entered the Kazekage's office, Baki holding the door open once again. He looked up at his father, who sat at the desk with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Two children stood beside him, both squirming nervously but trying not to show it.

"Gaara, come closer," the Kazekage ordered.

"Yes, Father," Gaara said meekly, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself in check. He stepped closer and stared at the two children to avoid looking at his father.

"These are your brother and sister, Gaara," the Kazekage explained. "Your sister Temari and your brother Kankuro. You three will work together under Baki's supervision and complete missions for the village. Am I to be understood?"

Gaara nodded obediently, but he refused to turn his gaze away from his siblings. They shuddered under his gaze.

His sister appeared to be Fuu's age, but slightly taller and stockier. Her blonde hair was tied back into four pigtails at the back of her head. She smiled at him, but he could tell that it was fake. His brother, covered in face paint typical of puppet trainees, was nearly the complete opposite. Unlike their sister, he had his arms crossed in front of his chest and he glared at Gaara with fear and anger.

"Hello, Gaara," Temari broke the silence, nodding her head slightly. "F-father told me we would be in a team! I hope we can work well together!"

Gaara hummed as he turned his gaze toward his brother. Kankuro's frown deepened, and he only grunted at Gaara. Gaara looked at his siblings for a few seconds more before turning around and leaving.

"Don't get in my way," he told them as he departed.

The two children were his brother and sister, but they had done nothing for him and he doubted they ever would. They were only two more people from the village to hate.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: One of my favorite things is when Naruto and Sasuke are frenemies. Gaara suffering is one of my least favorites.**

**Once again, my Tumblr is waffledogwrites if you want to yell at me for whatever reason.**

**Next chapter: Fuu learns a new technique.**


	17. Hostage Negotiations

**In which Iruka gets to know Naruto and Fuu saves a life.**

**Warning for some canon-typical violence in this chapter.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Once the two classes were joined together, Naruto sat next to Hinata every day.

Every morning and during the breaks, they talked about whatever came to mind. She told him about her family: a distant father, a busy mother, and a precocious sister. In exchange, he talked about learning to cook and clean in his apartment. During the lessons, she whispered help whenever he got confused. Likewise, he helped her with the material about history. Hinata was definitely his favorite person in the class.

As for Sasuke, Naruto didn't know if he liked or hated the guy. After their fight, they glared daggers at each other every single chance they got, only exchanging a few tense words. However, despite their animosity, they met every day after school to spar and practice. Yugito had told him to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. While Naruto agreed with her sentiment, he was not sure if he would classify Sasuke as an enemy yet.

To their mutual dismay, they were matched nearly neck and neck in skill. Sasuke was strong and fast, able to disarm and pin Naruto to the ground within seconds. However, whenever their spars lasted for longer than a few minutes, Sasuke tired quickly, allowing Naruto to win.

On days in which they didn't spar, they worked on their shuriken and kunai skills. Naruto was much better with the larger weapons, achieving close to pin-point accuracy. He enjoyed watching Sasuke seethe at being outdone and bragged whenever he could.

"You're holding the kunai wrong, jerk!" Naruto yelled at him after watching him try and fail for the tenth time. "You're not accurate because you're too tense! You have to relax your grip!"

"Don't tell me what to do, loser!" Sasuke yelled back. "My brother told me this was the correct way and he's the strongest ninja in my entire clan!"

Naruto snorted. "Then your brother is stupid, ya know."

"What'd you say about my brother?"

"I said your brother is stupid!" Naruto yelled. "I'm better at kunai, so you should listen to me!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He lunged at Naruto, throwing the kunai to the ground, weapon forgotten. Naruto prepared himself for a fight. In the end, Sasuke emerged victorious, forcing Naruto to admit that his brother was not stupid. They said goodbye to each other curtly, promising to get together the next day.

Through their rivalry, they forced each other to improve. Naruto whined to Hinata and the jinchuuriki about Sasuke. Yet, part of him couldn't help but enjoy his company. It wasn't like there were other people to spar with, considering how Hinata always went home right after class.

He also liked his new teacher, Iruka. The man was a lot kinder to Naruto than the other adults he'd met. He didn't mock him whenever he struggled in class. He also discouraged teasing, greatly improving Naruto's overall experience.

Naruto even looked forward to their first exam. He struggled when reading and writing. However, with time to think and sound the words out to himself, he was more than ready for anything.

**O-O-O-O-O**

With fewer children, Iruka and Suzume's classes were combined into one. Suzume became the specialist kunoichi instructor. Meanwhile, Iruka would teach the newest crop of Academy students. It was a difficult task, but Iruka was ready for the challenge. He was not ready, however, to be the teacher for the Kyuubi.

His name was Naruto Uzumaki and he was much smaller than he had anticipated.

Iruka observed Naruto every day, looking for any hint of the demon that killed his parents. However, all he saw was a loud and overly confident boy.

Like everyone else, Iruka had been surprised during the physical trials. Naruto had nearly tied with Sasuke Uchiha and he had surpassed everyone else. In the end, he had achieved one of the highest scores they had ever seen from a first-year student.

On Monday, Iruka re-introduced himself to the students and discussed their objectives. The boy looked at him with glittering eyes. Iruka smiled back._ I shouldn't underestimate him. He's the Kyuubi._

Iruka didn't know what to make of Naruto until he asked him to read a passage from their book for the first time.

Immediately, the boy's face turned pale before shifting into a deep shade of red. Naruto stood up, refusing to meet Iruka's eyes, before clearing his throat and reading.

"Uh... um... Hokage are... uh- res-respon-responsible for- most of the... uh... v-vill-village's a-ff-a-i-r-s... uh... affairs!"

Naruto painfully stumbled through the paragraph. The entire classroom froze and Iruka felt tempted to interrupt and beg him to stop.

When Naruto finished, he collapsed on his chair with a heavy sigh. He gave Hinata an embarrassed smile while she placed a hand on his shoulder. Iruka, meanwhile, had to suppress the criticism threatening to burst out of his throat. _How could you have so much trouble reading something so simple?! There are only, like, three kanji in that passage!_

"Thank you, Naruto," he said instead before looking around the classroom. "Well, Shino, would you please read the next paragraph?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei." Unlike Naruto, Shino read perfectly with no hesitation. Naruto hid his face behind his book while Hinata threw a concerned glance in his direction.

Iruka shook his head. _Perhaps the fox has something to do with that._

Iruka observed Naruto for the rest of the week. At first, he wondered if the boy only struggled with reading. However, during their math practice, he made just as many mistakes. He also never spoke up during the lessons unless forced to participate. Instead, he stared at Iruka, refusing to actively engage with the material. Occasionally, he saw the boy staring out of the window or whispering with Hinata Hyuuga.

Two weeks after meeting Naruto, Iruka handed out their first test.

"Good luck, everyone!" Iruka cheered once all of the exams had been handed out. "Remember what we've learned so far! You can go home as soon as you finish and turn in your test."

The students began. Predictably, Sasuke, Ino, Shino, and Hinata sped through the exam. Within minutes they were already on the second page. To his surprise, a small pink-haired girl sitting at the back answered faster than anyone else. She wrote so quickly that ink stained her nose.

Naruto, meanwhile, chewed on the back of his pencil as he whispered something to himself. He wrote down something and looked around. Iruka kept him under watch. Naruto paused to look out the window and around the room. He didn't seem particularly concerned. Iruka dreaded to grade his exam.

The pink-haired girl, Sakura, finished the exam first. She scurried to Iruka's desk with a blush, dropping off her finished test and running out. Shino followed a few minutes later, leaving the room without saying anything. One by one, the rest of the students finished and left until only Iruka and a handful of students remained.

When only three students were left, Naruto stood up with a grin to turn in his finished test.

"I finished, Iruka-sensei!" he shouted cheerfully. "I tried real hard, ya know!"

"I'm sure you did, Naruto," Iruka answered with a fake smile. _I'm going to suffer grading, aren't I?_

A few minutes later, the last of the students finished and left. Iruka sighed in relief before looking at the finished tests with a whine. He put Naruto's exam at the bottom of the pile. _Might as well save the worst one for last._

As expected, the children of clans had the highest scores. Sasuke and Ino had nearly perfect answers while Shino and Hinata trailed behind them. Even the lazier students like Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba managed above-average final scores.

However, to his surprise, the highest grade went to the pink-haired girl Sakura. She rarely brought attention to herself, as she preferred to sit at the back and cover her face with her bangs. He hoped her performance would improve her confidence.

He smiled as he graded the exams. Everyone had gotten a passing score, with many students surpassing his expectations. _I guess they're paying attention to me after all._

His smile fell when he reached Naruto's exam. He glared at the paper for a moment. He knew it would be full of mistakes. He sighed. _Let's just get it over with._

He read through the first answer. He read it again. He read it a third time. He blinked in surprise._ It's correct?!_

Thinking that it was a fluke, Iruka skimmed through the rest. The majority was correct. All the answers about ninjutsu were perfect, as were the answers about history. In reading and literacy, there were only a few minor errors. Only the mathematics section had a couple of significant mistakes.

Iruka smiled at the test before realization set in and he snorted. _There is no way Naruto got this many correct answers without cheating. He was always looking around the room during class. He definitely copied from someone else._

Iruka turned to the first page with a frown. Instead of writing a number as he did with the rest of the students, he wrote 'See me after class' in red ink. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. _Why do I have to be the one teaching the Kyuubi anyway?_

**O-O-O-O-O**

When he returned to class on Monday, Naruto wondered how well he did on the exam. He doubted he got the highest score, but he thought it was better than the average._ Now I just gotta wait and see._

"How do you think you did, Hinata-chan?" he asked as he sat down next to her. "The math part was hard, ya know. But everything else was fine if I took my time."

"I thought it was easy, Naruto-kun," she answered. "There was only one question about history I couldn't remember. What was the name of the Second Hokage?"

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Tobirama Senju! He was the First Hokage's younger brother."

"Well, now I remember," Hinata said with an exaggerated sigh. Naruto grinned. She was usually shy and quiet, so he enjoyed the rare glimpses of frustration.

"Good morning, kids!" Iruka entered while holding a folder full of papers under his arm. Naruto's heart beat faster. _The exams!_

"Iruka-sensei!" a girl with short platinum-blonde hair stood up and yelled. "How did everyone do on the exams? Are we gonna get the scores back? Who got the highest score? Did anyone fail?"

Iruka scratched the back of his neck. "Don't worry, Ino," he said with a smile. "Everyone did pretty well, even better than I expected. I'll give you your tests back at the end of the day. I won't publish the scores, but I will say that the person with the highest grade was Sakura Haruno."

Confused, everyone turned their heads to search for the named student. After a few seconds, their eyes settled on a pink-haired girl sitting at the back of the classroom. With everyone's attention on her, she yelped and looked down at her desk, face red.

Most of the students grumbled about a civilian girl getting the highest score as they glared at her. The girl seemed to shrink further into herself. Naruto frowned. _The heck's their deal? Are they jealous?_

Iruka cleared his throat. "Well, yes, congratulations, Sakura," he said. "Now I think it's time to start class."

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," they replied as they settled back on their seats and got ready to begin.

Naruto listened to everything, although he refused to volunteer himself to answer. The other kids might not make fun of him anymore, but he didn't want to call attention to himself. Being embarrassed once for answering a question was more than enough for one lifetime.

After what felt like forever, the day ended and Naruto looked forward to getting his exam back. Iruka handed the papers out one by one as he moved around the classroom. Most of the students cheered or laughed in relief. Hinata smiled at the 91 written at the top of her exam, eyes full of happiness. Sasuke stared at the number, face impassive before folding it in half. Shikamaru only yawned when he read the result, whatever it was. Naruto received his exam last, face down. He flipped it over.

His heart sank. Instead of a number score, he only read "See me after class" written in large red characters. He scanned the front and flipped through the other pages, but there were no markings anywhere. With a frown, he stared at the exam, as if glaring would make a score appear.

The students around him packed up their materials and headed home, unaware of Naruto's dilemma. Hinata beamed at him and waved goodbye. Naruto returned the greeting, but he was frozen to his seat. _Why didn't I get a score?_

Naruto waited for everyone to leave before walking to stand in front of Iruka's desk.

"What's wrong with my exam, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked apprehensively, placing the exam between them on top of the desk.

Iruka let out a heavy sigh and he leaned back in his chair. "I know you cheated, Naruto."

"Cheated?" Naruto's heart beat faster. _I don't get it._

Iruka nodded. "I don't know if maybe you just didn't know, but I don't condone any sort of cheating during my exams. All work should be your own."

"But... Iruka-sensei!" Naruto protested. "I didn't cheat! I did everything on my own, ya know!"

"I wish I could believe that," Iruka retorted. "But I never see you participate in class. The few times I call on you to answer a question or read a passage, your performance is mediocre at best. I simply can't believe you could get this high of a score _without _copying from someone else."

"But... I really didn't copy anyone!" Naruto didn't know if he wanted to cry or shout in frustration.

Iruka groaned with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Look, Naruto, I know school can be hard, but I don't condone copying in my classes."

"Iruka-sensei, I-"

"No excuses, Naruto!" Iruka interrupted before he had a chance to explain himself. "I won't give you a punishment because this was the first exam. But if I catch you cheating again, then I'm going to tell the Hokage."

Naruto's stomach turned over itself. _The Hokage?! No! If he does that, then I won't get my allowance anymore! And I won't be able to get ramen!_

Feeling trapped, Naruto nodded reluctantly. He took the exam back from the desk and shoved it inside his pocket, not caring about keeping it intact. He scowled at Iruka before stomping out of the classroom as fast as he could.

Furious, he ran to the training grounds, where he knew that Sasuke was already waiting._ A spar is exactly what I need. I'll win the fight no matter what it takes!_

"What took you so long, loser?" Sasuke asked when he saw the glare on Naruto's face.

"Nothing, jerk," Naruto answered. "I'm just angry. I'm ready to fight."

Sasuke obliged, lunging toward Naruto with a punch. Naruto dodged, but his mind was too furious to focus. Sasuke won within seconds, leaving Naruto lying down on the mud in defeat. Sasuke frowned but said nothing. He fell into a taijutsu stance and waited for Naruto to stand up and attack.

Their second fight began. Once again, Sasuke won in seconds, pinning down Naruto with his knees. Sasuke's frown deepened and they fought again and again. They had five more spars before Sasuke stopped with a deep frown.

"Okay, loser, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked as he glared at a defeated Naruto on the ground.

"Nothing's wrong," Naruto lied.

"You're lying!"

"I'm not!"

"What's wrong?" Sasuke repeated.

"Nothing!"

"Is it about the exam?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto couldn't help but flinch and look away. He sat up and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking anywhere but in Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke sighed and sat down next to Naruto. Naruto refused to look at him. They sat silently next to each other as they waited for the other one to break. Naruto won and Sasuke spoke first.

"Did you fail the exam or what, idiot?" Sasuke asked with his usual sensitivity.

"What!" Naruto glared at the other boy. "No! Well, yeah, kinda?"

"No, yeah, kinda? What does that mean?" Sasuke repeated Naruto's words and snorted. "Did you fail or not?"

Naruto sighed._ Well, it's not like I'll lose anything if I tell him._ "Iruka-sensei thinks I cheated on the exam,'' Naruto began. "So he gave me a zero on the test! Except that I didn't cheat and he just doesn't wanna believe me!"

To Naruto's gratification, Sasuke looked nearly as surprised by Iruka's words as Naruto did. "Wait, why does he think that?"

"Cause I never raise my hand in class, so he thinks that I don't know anything."

"Why don't you answer in class?"

Naruto snorted. "Are you kidding me? Last time I answered a question, everyone laughed at me and we almost got into a fight, remember?"

To Naruto's satisfaction, Sasuke looked away in embarrassment. "It wasn't that bad."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Even now I can tell the others are talking behind my back 'cause I struggle to read out loud during class. If I start answering questions, it's probably gonna get worse."

"No, I don't think so," Sasuke shook his head and shrugged. "Only the best students are still here. They're not gonna say anything, at least not to your face. After they saw your performance during the spars, I don't think they'd want to get on your bad side, anyway."

"I guess..." Naruto dared to get his hopes up. He had been holding back on participating during class, fearful of being made fun of, but if what Sasuke said was true...

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "Just answer the stupid questions so Iruka-sensei doesn't suspect you of cheating next time."

Naruto grinned and laughed, punching Sasuke on the shoulder and standing up. "Fine! Now, are you ready for me to get serious?"

Sasuke smirked and stood up as well, falling into a taijutsu stance.

Naruto was starting to like Sasuke. He was never going to tell him that, though. _He has a big enough head already._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Whenever Takumi had extra time at the end of school, he told her stories about Fuu's mother.

While they usually stayed in the classroom, the cherry blossoms compelled them to sit outside in their shade. Fuu laid down on her stomach while her teacher leaned back on the trunk of the cherry tree. He laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he retold Fuu one of their favorite stories.

"And then, your mother yelled: 'If you didn't want the house to be destroyed, you should have told me from the beginning!'" Takumi said.

_**'I remember that!' **_Chomei reminisced. _**'I knew it was a bad idea, but your mother always did whatever she wanted.'**_

Fuu's laughter intensified at her bijuu's addition.

She tried to get her breathing back in order when Takumi's silence told her someone was approaching. Curious, she turned her head around to look at their new visitor. Her heart sank.

Suien walked toward them, a smile on his face that nevertheless made Fuu shiver._ He is always at is cruelest when he smiles._

"Takumi-san," Suien said with a nod before staring down at Fuu. "I've been looking around for you, Fuu-sama."

"Oh," Fuu answered, trying to quell down the roiling feeling in her stomach.

_Always trust your instincts,_ Han's voice said in her head. _Your instincts are often the difference between life and death._

Biting her lip, she stood up to meet Suien in the eye. While he was no longer as gigantic as when she was his student, he still towered over her. She made a conscious effort not to shudder.

"What is it, Suien-sama?" she asked with forced politeness.

"Hisen-sama is looking for you," Suien answered. A shiver ran down Fuu's spine._ It's a lie. What does he really want?_

"Why didn't he send Senji-sama?" she asked, feigning confusion.

"Don't worry about it, girl. Just come with me."

Fuu flinched and took a step back. The few times Hisen had requested her presence, he had sent Senji to do the task. _Something is wrong here._

"Why does he want me?" Fuu asked as she took a second step back

Suien frowned and he glared down at her. "I don't know. Just come. Next time I ask I won't be so nice."

"Suien-sama," Takumi interrupted. He left his resting place under the tree to stand behind Fuu, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Immediately, Fuu calmed down. _That's right, Takumi-sensei is here. He'll know what to do._

"It's none of your business, Takumi," Suien snapped. "I'm taking her, no matter what you say."

Her teacher left her side to stand in front of Suien. "In that case, I'll-"

Before he could finish his statement, Suien buried a kunai into Takumi's lower stomach.

Fuu screamed. Her knees gave out and she fell to the ground. She looked up at her sensei with eyes already filling with tears.

"Fuu... run," Takumi whispered as he grabbed onto Suien's arm. "I'll hold him as long as I can. Run and hide. Leave me behind."

"God, you're annoying." Suien twisted the kunai in deeper and Takumi screamed at the pain. "There's no way for you to run and hide, Fuu. Come along and I won't hurt your precious Takumi anymore."

Fuu could hear her heartbeat in her ears and she stared in shock at Takumi trying in vain to push Suien away. Her tears obscured her vision and the only thing she wanted to do was break down and cry.

_**'Fuu! Fuu!' **_Chomei's voice broke her out of her reverie. _**'Leave this to me! I know what to do!'**_

_'What to do?'_ Fuu repeated dumbly._ 'What is it?'_

_**'I'll cause a diversion. Use it to pull Takumi and run away.'**_

_'What kind of diversion?'_

_**'When I say 'go,' make the tiger seal, clap your hands together, and then open your mouth. Use the opportunity to grab your teacher and use your wings to fly away. For now, pretend you're going along with his plan.'**_

Fuu nodded, although she knew Chomei couldn't see. Heartened by her bijuu's words, she stood up and inched her way to Suien.

"If I go with you, do you promise to let Takumi-sensei go?" she asked while biting her lip.

"Of course!" Suien lied while his grip on the kunai stayed the same.

"No, Fuu..." Takumi whispered. "Run away... You're much more valuable than I am..." Takumi coughed at the effort and he quieted, focused on keeping Suien from moving.

Suien smirked. "He still has a chance to live, girl," he taunted. "Come closer and I'll let him go."

Fuu took a step closer. _**'Almost there,' **_Chomei said._** 'Make sure you're as close to the bastard as possible.'**_

Fuu bit her lip. She stood next to Takumi. "Let him go," she said as she held her hands up in front of her chest. "It's me you want, right?"

"Good, now, come with-" As soon as Suien began to speak, Fuu heard Chomei telling her "go."

She made the tiger seal, clapped her hands together, and opened her mouth. A cloud of shimmering scales appeared, blinding Suien. He reflexively took a step back and loosened his grip on the kunai.

Fuu didn't hesitate. She summoned her wings, kicked Suien in the chest, grabbed onto her teacher, and carried him away. By the time Suien had a chance to recover, she was already on her way to the giant tree at the center of the village.

It wasn't until she has placed her teacher down on one of the branches of the giant tree that she dared to breathe. She examined her teacher's condition. He was unconscious, yet breathing. However, his breath was shaky and Fuu knew that without treatment, he would die in a few hours.

_'Chomei,'_ she said.

_**'What is it, little one?'**_

_'Thanks. Takumi-sensei would already be dead without you.'_

Chomei made a chittering sound. _**'I had to show you how to do that eventually anyway.'**_

Fuu breathed a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to her teacher. She recalled all their first aid training in school. She tore out a chunk of his pants for bandaging and applied pressure on the wound. It was sufficient considering the situation. A few minutes later, Takumi opened his eyes to blink up at Fuu.

"Fuu?" he asked blearily.

"Sensei!" Fuu replied, keeping her hands pushing down on his stomach. "Don't talk! You're bleeding!"

"Fuu..." he spoke again. "What happened?"

Fuu bit her lip. She recounted the story briefly, telling him about Chomei's involvement in the rescue.

"Chomei?" Takumi asked.

"The seven-tails." Fuu nodded. "That's their name. They gave me the plan and I followed through with it to rescue you. We need to get you to a hospital though, sensei. I don't know any healing jutsu."

"Your bijuu? How is that possible? Does it lend you its power?"

Fuu shrugged. "I don't know. Chomei is just nice. They think I'm cute and polite."

_**'You are cute and polite.'**_

"Aww, thanks Chomei. You're super cool, you know that?"

"You can talk to your bijuu?" Takumi blinked up at her. He looked more concerned about the newest revelation than about the blood pouring out of his abdomen.

Fuu shrugged. "Yeah, for the past couple of months. They taught me how to use my wings to fly. And I guess I have a new technique now, too. I don't know what it's called, though."

_**'Scaled Sneak Jutsu,' **_Chomei answered._** 'To be more specific, Hiden Ninjutsu: Scaled Sneak Jutsu.'**_

"Oh! Chomei says it's called the 'Hiden Ninjutsu: Scale Sneak Jutsu' or 'Scale Sneak Jutsu' for short," Fuu said. "That's not that short, though."

Takumi only looked more perturbed the more she spoke. _At least he's not panicking about the stab wound._

"Wait, Fuu, help me sit up," Takumi said. "I know some medical ninjutsu. I can heal myself well enough for now."

"Yes, Takumi-sensei!"

Fuu helped Takumi lean against the trunk of the tree. With a wince of pain, he placed a hand over the bleeding wound. A soft glow emanated from his hand and he hovered the chakra over the injury. Slowly, the blood stopped flowing. Takumi collapsed against the tree, his eyes closed in exhaustion.

"Takumi-sensei, are you all right?" Fuu fretted, placing her hands on top of his shoulders.

Takumi opened his eyes and gave her a wan smile. "I still need someone more professional," he admitted. "But I'm fine for now. We need to stay together until we know what's going on."

Fuu bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "Should I look for Hisen-sama or Senji-sama? They probably know what was going on."

"No, it's too dangerous and you're too valuable," Takumi answered immediately with a shake of his head. "We should wait here until the coast is clear."

"I can fly and look for someone," Fuu protested. "And if Suien sees me, I can use the Scale Sneak Jutsu and then fly away."

Takumi blinked at her, face pale. "I forgot you could fly now," he said exasperatedly. "When I woke up this morning, I was not expecting the day to end up like this."

Despite the situation, Fuu couldn't help but giggle. Takumi joined her, coughing painfully as he struggled to laugh. Fuu's face turned serious again.

"I'll be careful, Takumi-sensei," she promised. "You need to get to the hospital as fast as possible."

Takumi sighed. "Promise?"

"Promise."

"I don't believe that promise," he admitted with another sigh and a shake of his head. "Your mother would say the same thing. Then she would charge head-on at an enemy and almost get herself killed."

"I won't do that!" Fuu protested. "I double promise!"

Before Takumi could retort, Fuu summoned her wings and floated down through the branches. She heard an exasperated sigh from Takumi as she left.

Descending in complete silence, she hid behind the roof of one of the houses near the tree. Seeing no one, she flew in the direction of Hisen's office.

_**'Be careful, little one.'**_

_'I'll be careful. I'm sure Hisen-sama knows what's going on.'_

She flew through the village, hiding behind roofs and trees in case of enemies. To her surprise, the village was eerily quiet.

_'Where is everyone? There should be people wandering around at the very least.'_

_**'I don't know, but be on your guard, Fuu.'**_

As she flew, she grew increasingly unnerved about the silence, especially with all the closed windows she saw. She arrived at Hisen's office without bumping into anyone else. She peeked over the roof at the courtyard in front. She had to slap a hand in front of her mouth to keep herself from yelling.

A group of villagers was tied up, a few shinobi wearing foreign hitai-ate holding them captive. Fuu's stomach sank when she saw Senji among them. Suien stood in the middle of the courtyard, holding a kunai up to the neck of a terrified Shibuki.

A short distance away, Hisen stood tall and proud, holding a vial of water in one hand and a sword in the other. He glowered at Suien, showing his teeth in anger, impotent with his son out of his hands.

Fuu hid behind the roof before peeking down again, but no one seemed to see her. She sighed in relief. _What's going on?_

"Let's make a trade, Hisen-sama," Suien said with a mocking smirk. "Your son in exchange for the girl. It seems fair to me."

"What do you want with her?" Hisen asked, taking a step closer. At his approach, Suien hovered the kunai closer to Shibuki's neck. Hisen froze.

"Nothing much," Suien answered. "I just want to sell her off. Amegakure would pay a lot for the Seven-Tails."

"You can't do that!" Senji yelled from among the captured. "You would only break the peace and create war!"

"Shut up, old man!" one of the shinobi yelled as he kicked Senji in the face.

Fuu flinched as Senji fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his mouth. Despite the obvious injury, the old man only glared at his attacker, spitting out the blood at the enemy's feet. The man growled and kicked Senji again, that time in the stomach.

The other villagers protested, pleading for the man to stop. A few children cried while a woman prostrated herself on the ground, begging for mercy. However, there was only bloodlust in his eyes as he kicked Senji over and over again.

Fuu couldn't take it anymore. Before anyone else, Senji had been the one person that had always been kind to her. She flew out from behind the roofline and toward the enemy shinobi. With a kick to the head, the man fell backward, immediately unconscious.

"Senji-sama!" she yelled as she knelt next to the semi-conscious old man and took his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Fuu-sama...?" Senji whispered before closing his eyes. Heart pounding, she checked his pulse, but to her relief, he had only fallen unconscious. She turned around to look at her opponents.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Fuu's arrival. Fuu bit her lip. _Now what?_

"So you came!" Suien yelled with a deranged smile. "Now we can do the trade! What do you say, Fuu-sama, you for the boy? That's fair, don't you think?"

Fuu clenched her jaw and glowered at Suien. The traitor kept his grip on the kunai. Hisen tensed as the sharp edge loomed ever closer.

"Fine!" Fuu yelled. "Let him go and I'll follow you!"

Suien shook his head. "I'm not falling for that again! Let my friends from Amegakure tie you down and I'll let him go."

Fuu looked around at her enemies. If she tried to attack Suien directly, the other shinobi would stop her before she got close. If she attacked the Amegakure ninja, Suien would kill Shibuki before anyone could intervene. If she were to use the Scaled Sneak Jutsu, Suien would kill Shibuki before she had a chance to attack.

_'This sure is a shitshow,'_ Fuu complained to Chomei, borrowing one of the words Yagura liked but that made Roshi mad.

_**'That's for sure, but, Fuu, I have a plan.'**_

_'A plan? Another one?' _She really did have the best bijuu.

_**'Yes, I'll lend you my power and give you one tail's worth of chakra. Let them capture you and then break out. We have the element of surprise here.'**_

Fuu bit her lip and looked down, holding her hands up in front of her in surrender. "Fine, tie me up if you want. Just let Shibuki go," she said.

Suien glared at her for a few seconds before nodding and gesturing to one of the enemy shinobi with his head. "Tie her up. Make sure it's as secure as possible."

"Yes, Suien," a kunoichi said as she grabbed onto a length of rope. She approached Fuu cautiously, but when Fuu did nothing, she wrapped the rope around her arms. Fuu flinched at the pressure. The kunoichi had constrained her arms more than necessary.

Now captured, the enemy walked Fuu to stand in front of Suien. Her former teacher looked at her like something he had found on the bottom of his shoe.

Fuu's heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she stared at Suien. "Now, let him go!" she yelled.

"With pleasure," Suien kicked Shibuki to the ground before shifting his kunai to point at Fuu's neck. She stared up at the man unflinchingly.

"You know, I knew I would take you first chance I got," Suien commented. "I tried to make sure you didn't learn anything, but I guess you were more of a prodigy than I expected."

Her heart began beating faster as she tried to understand his words. "W-what?"

Suien rolled his eyes. "I knew one day I could find someone who would be willing to pay for you," he explained. "A weak kid is easier to capture and sell."

Fuu felt the blood drain out of her face. Suien had always been cruel in his teachings, but she had never thought that it had a higher goal. Years of training came into stark focus._ If I didn't have the other jinchuuriki, I would be a complete failure of a kunoichi._

_**'Fuu!' **_Chomei's voice cut through her thoughts and she flinched in surprise.

_'Chomei?'_

_**'Get a hold of yourself, Fuu! You have to escape! I won't lend you my power until you're calm!'**_

_'I... okay, Chomei.' _Fuu forced herself to breathe. She inhaled and exhaled deeply while Suien gloated with the other Amegakure shinobi. A few seconds later, her mind was clear once again.

_'Chomei?'_

_**'Yes, Fuu?'**_

_'I'm ready.'_

In an instant, Fuu felt a surge of energy that covered her entire body in a thick shroud of chakra. The rope started to burn away and with a flex of her wrists, Fuu broke free. Her body felt unstoppable like it never had before.

Moving faster than ever, she pushed Suien's kunai out of her face before kicking him away and flying up. She flew down to attack, but Suien was a jounin and he dodged smoothly. A crater of dirt and dust exploded where she landed on the ground.

"W-what are you?" Suien yelled as he leaped away.

"My name is Fuu! And I'm the jinchuuriki of Lucky Seven Chomei, also known as the Nanabi!"

Silence fell at her words that was only broken when Hisen took a swig of water and leaped to stand in front of Fuu. Chaos ensued as the villagers screamed in fear and shock. Gritting his teeth, one of the Amegakure shinobi lunged forward to attack. Before Fuu had a chance to show off her skills, however, Hisen stepped in front and sliced the attacker away.

"Fuu-san," he said. "I'm the head of Takigakure. Leave everything to me. Please, go help my son."

Fuu nodded obediently and ran back to where Shibuki lay on the ground, weeping softly. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he looked up. They exchanged reassuring grimaces as they look back at the fight.

Hisen got into a fighting position, sword in front of him. The rest of the enemy shinobi lunged toward him, weapons at hand. Without breaking a sweat, Hisen held off their attacks, killing them with a single slice of his sword. They tried to swarm him, but Hisen was stronger than he looked, defeating everyone without effort.

"Fuck this, I'm out of here!" one of the enemy Amegakure shinobi yelled as he ran away.

Like a dam breaking, the others tried to leave as well. However, Hisen was too fast and he killed them before they have the chance to escape.

"Hisen-sama is a lot stronger than I thought," Fuu said to Shibuki.

"That's because he drank the Hero Water," Shibuki said, face pale.

"Hero Water?"

"It multiplies your chakra ten times of what's normal, but, in exchange..."

"In exchange?" Fuu asked but Shibuki fell silent, staring at the fight with his hands clenched into fists.

With a shout, Hisen captured and killed the last of the Amegakure shinobi. He looked around in search of Suien, but the man had somehow managed to escape while Hisen was distracted.

"Suien!" Hisen shouted. "Come and fight me like a man! Let's settle this once and for all!"

No one answered back and Hisen sighed heavily before turning around to look at his son.

"Shibuki!" he yelled as he ran toward them. "Are you okay? You should have fought back!"

"I-I'm fine, Dad, but... you... the Hero Water..."

Hisen blinked and smiled sadly. "You have to take care of the village, Shibuki," he said. "I wanted you to enjoy your youth for a while longer, but you have to grow up faster than I wanted."

Shibuki shook as his eyes filled with tears and fell down his cheeks. _I don't understand anything._

"Do you promise me, Shibuki?" Hisen asked.

Shibuki nodded, eyes full of tears as he met his father's eyes. He leaned over to hug him. Hisen smiled before he flinched back in pain, breaking the embrace.

"Dad!"

"Don't worry, Shibuki," Hisen panted. "I'm fine. It'll all be over for me soon, anyway."

"But... Dad..."

Hisen smiled one last time before collapsing. Shibuki caught his body and pulled his father onto his arms. Fuu's heart sank as she finally realized what was going to happen.

"No... Hisen-sama!" she shouted, grabbing onto his robes._ If you're not here, what's going to happen with me and Shibuki?_

Fuu felt tears in her eyes once again. Hisen had seemed as constant and solid as the tree at the center of the village, but now he was gone. The man had left, leaving young and terrified Shibuki in charge.

Shibuki cried over the corpse of his father, grabbing onto him as if the mere act of holding on would bring him back.

With shaky legs, Fuu stood up and walked to where all the captives were waiting. The villagers flinched away from her approach, but Fuu didn't care. She cut open the ropes holding one of the villagers before handing him a kunai.

"Help me free the others," she ordered.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Iruka has some conflicting emotions right now. Suien doesn't have creative plans. He likes negotiating through hostages. **

**You can talk to me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites if you still use it. Thanks so much to the r/fanfiction and r/narutofanfiction discord servers. Y'all are awesome, inspiring, and helpful!**

**Next chapter: Ameyuri interrupts Utakata's lunch.**


	18. The Aftermath

**In which Naruto receives an apology, Fuu deals with the fallout, and Utakata embarrasses himself.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Following his conversation with Sasuke, Naruto returned to class with a plan to force Iruka to apologize.

"The correct reading of that kanji is 'Kaze,' Iruka-sensei," Naruto answered as he stood up and stared at Iruka. "It means 'wind. It's in words like 'Kazekage,' which means 'wind shadow,' ya know?"

Iruka blinked at him and his jaw dropped in surprise. "That's... correct, Naruto."

Naruto sat back down and looked around the classroom. He heard some people muttering around him but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was proving to his teacher that he knew a lot more than he thought.

Next to him, Hinata beamed in encouragement.

"Wow, Naruto-kun, that was kind of a hard one," she said. "I wasn't sure what it meant."

"Yeah, I read it in a book," he answered with a grin of his own. "It was about the five major elemental villages."

At the front of the classroom, Sasuke stared determinedly at the board. Naruto could tell that he was dying to say something. From the back corner of the classroom, he saw that Shikamaru and Chouji were curious about the change in attitude.

Iruka cleared his throat to turn everyone's attention back to him. "Well, yes, now as Naruto answered for us, this is the character for 'wind.' There are five major elemental countries and we will study the kanji for all of them."

The rest of the class continued. Naruto raised his hand as often as he could, daring Iruka to say anything or to stop him from answering. He only faltered when they got to the math section. To his relief, the other children struggled just as much as he did, if not more.

The only student who breezed through their math work was the pink-haired girl, Sakura. _She also got the highest score in the exam._

Naruto studied her, sitting at the back of the classroom. She covered her face with her bangs as if afraid to look at anyone. Naruto wondered why. He decided to keep an eye on her.

When the day ended, everyone, including Naruto, stood up and made their way out. Naruto took the time to pack up his things before joining the crowd.

"Wait, Naruto," Iruka said as he sat down behind his desk. "I wish to speak to you for a second."

Hinata and Naruto shared surprised glances. Hinata pushed her index fingers together in a now-familiar nervous gesture. Naruto shrugged and grinned at her. Immediately, her stance relaxed, and she smiled.

"See you tomorrow, Hinata-chan!" he said. "That cousin or whatever is here to pick you up, right?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun," she answered. "My mother is busy with Hanabi and clan duties. I will see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun, Iruka-sensei."

She nodded in Naruto's direction and bowed to Iruka before leaving. Naruto walked to stand in front of Iruka's desk, hands in his pockets to hide his fists. He glared at his teacher. _Do you still believe I cheated? You better apologize to me, you asshole!_

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry," he said.

Naruto's jaw dropped in surprise. "Huh?"

"I judged you too harshly for what your performance was like in class," Iruka continued. "I never saw you actively taking part in class and wrongfully believed you would copy from other students. I should have known not to judge so fast. I didn't accuse Sakura of cheating even though she got a perfect score, and she rarely speaks in class."

"Oh," Naruto answered. He shifted his feet. He hadn't actually expected for Iruka to apologize so easily.

"Anyway," Iruka continued, "I'm going to change your grade to what it should have been. I'll try not to underestimate you again, okay?"

Naruto nodded, at a loss for words.

"Do you have your exam? I can give you your final score right now if you have it."

Naruto looked down at his feet. "I... uh... don't have it anymore." Yugito and Roshi had compelled him to burn the exam after they heard about it. It had felt cathartic at the time, but now he felt ashamed for destroying it.

Iruka chuckled and shook his head. "Well, I'm not surprised," he admitted. "If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing."

Iruka opened the drawer of his desk and took out his grade book. "Don't worry, I'll give you a numbered score based on what I remember. Plus a few extra points as an apology. I think you were right around... hmm... well the math section was average, but the history and ninjutsu portion was nearly perfect... I guess I'll grant you a 92."

"A 92?" Naruto beamed at his teacher, placing the palms of his hand on the desk.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Iruka muttered. He scratched out the zero and wrote the new number next to Naruto's name. "Next exam won't have bonus points though, so be prepared."

Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Don't worry, Iruka-sensei," he said. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Of course," Iruka said. "Now please keep up the good work."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, bowing down deeply. He couldn't believe Sasuke's idea had actually worked.

"You're welcome, Naruto," Iruka said as he placed his grade book back in his desk. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Naruto grinned at his teacher. Iruka returned the gesture with a smile. Despite the happy expression, however, Naruto sensed something disparaging in his teacher's expression.

He knew the real reason why so many of the villagers hated him. He knew many people had died during the Kyuubi attack, including his mother. He wondered if Iruka lost someone that day too. Despite knowing he was not responsible, he couldn't ignore the guilt that settled into his stomach.

Trying to ignore the heavy feeling, he waved goodbye and ran out to the training area. As expected, Sasuke was already there, throwing shuriken with perfect accuracy. He took a look at Naruto and snorted.

"You look happy," he commented. "What did Iruka-sensei tell you?"

Naruto giggled as he got ready to share the news. "Iruka-sensei changed my grade, ya know!" he announced. "He even said sorry to me! He's so cool!"

"Told you that's what you should do."

"Yeah yeah, thanks." Naruto rolled his eyes. "It was a good plan, and you had a good idea, I guess. Are you happy now? I got a 92 on my first test!"

"92?! I got 96!" Sasuke protested at the unfairness. "There's no way you got 92!"

"You're just jealous because you can't admit I'm just as good as you if not better!" he shouted, shaking a fist at Sasuke. He ignored the small voice reminding him that he received bonus points as an apology.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Naruto and Sasuke growled at each other, grabbing onto the front of each other's shirts. Naruto threw the first punch, but Sasuke dodged it skillfully. With that, their first spar of the day began.

Naruto lost the first round with Sasuke but he didn't care. Iruka's apology was enough. He stood up and threw the first punch again. With Sasuke now tired, Naruto had the upper hand.

"Sore loser!" he taunted as Sasuke struggled to break free from under him.

Sasuke only frowned. "No, you are!"

Naruto stuck his tongue out as he let Sasuke go as their next round began.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Once the initial chaos settled down, Fuu led medics to Takumi-sensei. They immediately took him to the hospital to treat his injuries. She stayed by his side, leaving only when the doctor kicked her out at night.

She went to Hisen's funeral the following day, but everyone except for Senji and Shibuki ignored her.

Keeping her head high, she approached Hisen's memorial, bowing deeply and offering her condolences to Shibuki. The older boy stared blankly at her and nodded, face pale. Following the funeral, the Academy closed down for a week as the village recovered.

A few times, Fuu searched for Hana and Rin, but whenever she visited their homes, no one answered the door. She frowned to herself and left, not knowing what else to do._ I guess I'll talk to them when we go back to school._

Other than trying to find her friends, she stayed by Takumi's bedside for the rest of the week. Despite the stabbing, Takumi's eyes were bright as they talked.

"Didn't you promise me you would not get involved?" Takumi eventually asked as they ate lunch together.

"Actually, I promised that I would be careful," Fuu said. "I wasn't hurt, so I was very careful indeed."

Takumi sighed in exasperation. "You're just like your mother," he mumbled to himself. "If she hadn't been a shinobi, she would have been a lawyer."

Fuu grinned and took a bite of her food. Takumi took a sip of his tea.

"But now everyone in the village knows you're a jinchuuriki, Fuu," Takumi commented as he set the cup down.

"So?" Fuu asked, mouth full of food.

Takumi sighed. "So, people might not treat you the same way," he explained patiently. "Emi suffered a lot as a jinchuuriki. To keep you away from that, Hisen and Senji kept your existence secret to everyone but a select few. I only knew because we were teammates."

Fuu shrugged. "Yeah, but everyone in the village knows me already as Fuu! Are they going to treat me different just 'cause they found out Chomei lives inside me?"

Takumi shook his head and sighed yet again. "I still can't wrap my head around the fact you befriended a giant demon made of chakra."

_**'Hey! I resent that!'**_

"Chomei resents that," she passed the message. "They say they're not a demon, but a being made of chakra created by the Sage of Six Paths himself."

"What?" Takumi blinked at her.

"Oh, I guess I should have mentioned that before." Fuu shrugged as she took another bite of her food. Her teacher only looked exasperatedly at her before groaning and continuing to eat.

"Still, Fuu," Takumi said when he finished his meal. "People have a lot of misconceptions about jinchuuriki and bijuu. Take care of yourself. People might treat you differently now that they know."

Fuu nodded as she also set her chopsticks down. She had noticed a change in attitude in some of the villagers, but she wasn't worried. She had made friends with her classmates and with the people of Takigakure. There was no way anything would change. With that thought in mind, Fuu eagerly awaited her return to school.

On the first day back, she ran to the Academy, excited to talk to her friends and classmates. She said good morning to everyone she saw, but they looked away with terrified expressions. Fuu's heart sank. _Maybe Takumi-sensei had a bit of a point._

"Hi, Mio-chan!" she greeted one of her classmates. "Have you seen Hana-chan and Rin-chan? I haven't talked to them in ages!"

Immediately, her classmate's face turned white. She ran away without saying anything. Fuu's jaw dropped in surprise.

_'Why is everyone acting like this?'_

_**'They're afraid,'**_ Chomei answered. _**'They think that having a 'demon' inside you makes you a 'demon' yourself. They don't understand what it truly means to be a jinchuuriki.'**_

_'But... they know me! And I know them! Why would they push me away if we've known each other for so long?'_

_**'I don't know, Fuu-chan. There's nothing I can do to help.'**_

Fuu forced herself not to cry. She reminded herself of the 25th rule of the Shinobi Code of Conduct. _A shinobi must never show their tears._

Determined, she walked to her classroom and entered, sitting at her usual seat. Hana and Rin were nowhere to be found and Takumi was still in the hospital. The few students already inside immediately moved away, ignoring her presence as best as they could. Fuu tried to pretend it didn't hurt.

She sat down at her desk and waited. A few seconds before the bell rang to start the class, Hana and Rin finally appeared. Fuu looked up at them with a smile, eyes full of relief. However, they avoided her eyes and they sat down without sparing her a glance. Fuu's heart sank into her stomach and she stopped herself from crying by clenching the hem of her skirt in her hands.

A shinobi Fuu had never met before arrived, greeting everyone and introducing himself. Fuu didn't listen, her mind running a mile a minute. She had never felt such betrayal before. She glared at Hana and Rin, but they refused to even look at her. _I thought you were my friends._

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Their substitute teacher never talked to her or called out her name. He only lectured, calling upon everyone but Fuu to participate. A few times, Fuu raised her hand, but the teacher turned a blind eye, refusing to acknowledge her existence.

At lunchtime, everyone ran away from her. She tried one last attempt to speak with Hana and Rin, but they gave her the cold shoulder. Her heart beat frantically and her lungs struggled to breathe. _Takumi-sensei warned me about this. I should have listened._

The end of the day came as a relief. She packed her materials and ran away as fast as she could to the hospital, where Takumi awaited. However, her hopes were dashed when a nurse stood in front of the door to his room, blocking her way.

"Takumi-sensei cannot receive any visitors this afternoon," the nurse said in a cold tone, staring down at Fuu.

"What? Why?" Fuu protested.

"The doctor is doing a check-up right now," she explained with clenched teeth. "Come back tomorrow. Visiting hours are over anyway."

Fuu bit her lip and clutched at her skirt, but she knew protesting was pointless. They had let her in to see her teacher before, so she had no reason to believe the nurse was lying.

"Thank you," she said while bowing her head. "I hope Takumi-sensei recovers quickly. Goodbye."

The nurse huffed impatiently but said nothing. Fuu left the hospital, feeling lost and disoriented. _Where am I supposed to go now? What am I supposed to do?_

At the edge of tears, she stared at the village around her. It looked bigger than she remembered. She could go home and cry, but if she let that dam break, she knew she wouldn't be able to take it back. _Senji_.

Senji had always been kind to her, ever since she was a little girl. After the attack, the old man had been injured. However, after a few hours at the hospital, he had returned to work as Shibuki's advisor.

With a plan in mind, she headed toward the Village Head's office. She wanted to see someone smile at her. When she opened the door to Hi-Shibuki's office, she was taken aback by the flurry of activity.

Shibuki, meek and small, sat behind his father's desk, a pile of paperwork in front of him. His face was ashen and his eyes were wide in fear. The pencil he held in his hand trembled. Next to him sat Senji, bandages covering parts of his face and head. Despite the injury, his eyes were bright and his body was full of energy. Takigakure shinobi wandered throughout the room, yelling at each other and organizing paperwork. To Fuu, it looked like chaos.

"Senji-sama?" Fuu asked as she inched closer to the desk.

The old man and Shibuki looked up from their paperwork. Senji smiled at her, wide and sincere. Meanwhile, Shibuki's face contorted into something that looked nominally like a smile. Fuu's heart felt fifty pounds lighter.

"What is it, Fuu-sama?" Senji asked when he saw her expression.

"Nothing," she lied. "I was just a little bored and Takumi-sensei is getting his check-up right now. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Senji chuckled. "I'm not sure what you can do. As I'm sure you've noticed, it's been a little chaotic. Though I do have a few questions." His face turned serious, and he studied Fuu's face. "Since when can you control the power of your bijuu?"

Shibuki's eyes filled with curiosity, the first emotion he'd shown since his father's death. He stared at Fuu, waiting for the answer. Fuu looked down at her feet and clutched the hem of her skirt.

"Well... about that..." she hedged. "It's less me taking their power and more of us kinda working together. They lend me their chakra and I use it. Chomei is actually really cool!"

"Chomei?" Shibuki asked.

Fuu nodded, already tired of trying to explain her relationship with her bijuu. "Their name is Lucky Seven Chomei and they are super cool! They say that I'm very cute and talented!"

_**'You're not just cute, you're adorable!'**_

_'Thanks, Chomei.'_

"What?" Shibuki asked. "What do you mean?"

Fuu rolled her eyes before embarking on a long-winded explanation of Chomei. She told them about meeting Chomei in her mindscape and about learning how to fly with their help. She told them about how they helped when Suien took everyone captive.

When she finished the story, Senji and Shibuki gaped at her in silence. Fuu waited for them to speak.

"Thank you for saving my life, Fuu-sama," Senji said, clearing his throat. "However, you have revealed the most important secret we have in Takigakure. We have to enhance security, especially around you. If other villages learn we have a new leader and a powerful jinchuuriki, we are going to become major targets for attacks."

Fuu winced. She hadn't considered what other villages might have thought about her status as a jinchuuriki. From Yagura's reports, she knew there was a group that was looking to capture them or their bijuu. _I guess I should have considered that before jumping in to save everyone._

"Was there really no other choice, Senji-sama?" she asked.

Senji hummed to himself thoughtfully. "There might have been," he said and her heart sank. "But then we would have neither Shibuki nor Hisen with us anymore. I might not be here either. We didn't have time to plan and with Shibuki's life on the line, I don't think there were other options. You did what you thought was best and now we have to deal with the consequences."

Fuu nodded, chastened. She thought back on her actions during Suien's attack and tried to come up with alternatives. She could think of nothing. Or at least nothing that wouldn't have led to Shibuki or Senji's deaths.

Fuu nodded, relieved that they didn't hold a grudge against her.

"Well, is there anything I can do to help now?" she asked. "I don't really have anything to do at home."

Shibuki's face, which had started to regain color while Fuu was talking, looked up and smiled for the first time since the attack.

"I have the chuunin and jounin here to help me with the complicated stuff. But I give you your first D-ranked mission!" he said with false seriousness. "Your mission is to put all of these papers in chronological order. It's easy but tedious."

"Yes, sir!" Fuu obeyed with a grin, immediately grabbing onto the pile of documents.

She took her pile and sat in a corner by herself to sort all the documents. It was just as tedious as Shibuki had promised. Nevertheless, it was a good distraction after a long and terrible day and Fuu was glad for the task.

There were so many files that by sunset, she had gone through less than half of the original pile. She looked up from her task when she noticed that the room had grown quiet. To her surprise, while she had been focused on her mission, everyone except for Shibuki had left.

"Shibuki-sama?" she questioned as she saw the older boy glaring at a pile of documents.

Startled, Shibuki looked up to stare at Fuu in the corner. "Are you finished yet, Fuu-san?" he asked with a strained smile. "If you want, you can leave now and finish your mission tomorrow."

Fuu bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't want to go home," she said.

"Well, you have school tomorrow, right?" he said.

"I don't want to go to school either."

Shibuki quieted and stared at her with a frown on his face. "Why?" he finally asked after some contemplation.

"It's not the same anymore," she confessed. "My _'friends' _don't talk to me anymore. Even the teacher ignores me. I had to eat lunch by myself in the classroom. For the whole day, everyone ran away from me and refused to answer if I talked to them."

"What? Really?" Shibuki's brow furrowed in annoyance and anger. "But you saved the village."

"They don't see it that way." Fuu looked down and grabbed onto the hem of her skirt. "They think I'm a demon. They probably think I've been faking everything until now. They're afraid of me."

"I see," Shibuki answered, leaning back in his chair. "Do you want me to talk to them?"

Fuu snorted. "No. That'll probably make everything worse. I don't want people talking to be because they have to but because they want to."

Shibuki sighed. "Then what can I do to help?"

"I don't know," Fuu admitted, eyes filling with tears despite her earlier conviction. A sob escaped her lips. Before she knew it, she was bawling, all of the events since the attack rushing in at once.

Seeing her tears, Shibuki stood up and walked to her side. He squatted down and sat next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She sobbed into her hands, feeling extremely sorry for herself.

"I might have a partial solution, Fuu-san," Shibuki said.

"What is it?" Fuu asked between sobs.

"Graduate early."

"W-what? Graduation?"

Shibuki nodded. "Based on what you showed us during... the attack, you have more than enough skill to qualify as a genin. You can take the exam as soon as Takumi-sensei is discharged. He can be your proctor."

"Really?" Fuu's eyes lit up and she scrubbed the tears out of her eyes. "I can be a genin early?"

"Sure, as long as you pass the exam," he said. "Just remember that there is a written portion."

Fuu paused as she thought over the offer. Her grades in theoretical knowledge were decent, but not much better than the average. _Well, I guess I can always cheat and ask Chomei or the other jinchuuriki for help if I get stuck._

_**'I'm not helping you cheat!' **_Chomei interrupted. _**'And I'll make sure none of the other jinchuuriki do either. If you can't pass a written test, you don't deserve to be a genin.'**_

Fuu pouted at Chomei's refusal but nodded. Until she took the exam, she would skip school to study at home. It was not like anyone would talk to her there anymore, anyway.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata hated being a jounin.

The missions were more interesting, but the amount of paperwork was unforgivable. Instead of simple reports, he had to write down every single detail, from the shape of someone's jaw to the color of their toenails. It was exhausting trying to remember and write down every possible detail and he hated it.

In addition, as a jounin, he was called to the Mizukage's office increasingly often. He had to attend every meeting, scowling and yawning next to Harusame, who was already used to the pointlessness. The worst part, however, was how often his daily life was interrupted.

"Harusame-sama, Utakata-kun!" Ameyuri, the petite woman from the Mizukage's personal guard greeted, interrupting their lunch.

"Ameyuri-san, to what do I owe the occasion?" Harusame asked as he placed his chopsticks down.

"Mei-chan wants to talk with you," she said. "It's urgent, but it's not going to take long."

In the back of his mind, Utakata wondered how many people had the courage to call their Mizukage Mei-chan.

Immediately, Harusame stood up, leaving his unfinished food on the table. Utakata continued eating. His master had prepared grilled eel and there was no way he would miss it. He shoved a piece of food into his mouth and chewed.

"You too, Utakata-kun," Ameyuri said with a wicked smirk.

"Me too?! Why?!" Utakata asked, mouth full of food. Ameyuri snorted and Harusame glared at him like a naughty child. Chastened, he swallowed his food and stood up.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked, forcing his face into a mask of politeness.

Ameyuri shrugged. "You'll see. It's not anything too big. But Mei-chan and Ao-kun think it would be better for both of you to be there. Did you hear about the attack from the Kaguya clan a few weeks ago?"

Utakata nodded. He had been out of the village at the time and had only received the news when he returned. According to Harusame, the Kaguya clan had tried to assassinate Mei Terumi and her council in broad daylight. She had held them off by herself without any effort. Nevertheless, the village was still rebuilding from the attack.

"Well, it's related to the last survivor of the Kaguya clan," Ameyuri said. She walked out, Harusame and Utakata following behind her.

"I thought the entire clan was eliminated," Harusame said.

Ameyuri shook her head. "All the adults. There is a child remaining. Anyway, let's go. If you put Mei-chan, Zabuza-kun, and Ao-kun in a room together, sooner or later, you'll get a bloodbath. I'd normally love to participate in one, but there's already enough blood to clean up."

Utakata shivered. _The Mizukage is terrifying. What kind of personnel does she have?_

For the rest of the way out of the estate and toward the Mizukage's office, the three of them were silent. They traveled through the streets and roofs of Kirigakure until they jumped through the window and arrived at Mei's office. Utakata looked around the room.

Mei sat tall behind her desk. Her facial expression under the Mizukage hat told him the meeting would not be casual. Behind her stood Ao, face as serious and impassive as ever. At her side was Zabuza, _Kubikiribocho _slung on his back, glaring at everyone. In front of him, Zabuza grabbed onto a small pale boy that was quite obviously a member of the Kaguya clan.

The boy's face was pale, almost white, and his eyes were wide, vivid green, and uncertain. Two scarlet circles, characteristic of the Kaguya clan, adorned his forehead. His straight white hair, divided in a zigzag pattern, nearly reached his shoulders. Utakata estimated him as being no older than ten. Despite his straight posture, the boy was clearly nervous. His fingers were fidgeting and his eyes darted to and fro between Utakata and Harusame.

"Harusame-sama, Utakata-kun," Mei Terumi greeted them as they arrived.

"Mizukage-sama," Harusame and Utakata said simultaneously, bowing their heads in front of their leader.

"Yo, Mei-chan!" Ameyuri said with a smirk. "I brought the kid! Don't you think he's a little young for the responsibility though?"

Utakata frowned. _I'm not a kid! I'm ready for whatever mission you need!_

Mei smiled kindly as she motioned for Harumase and Utakata to relax. Together, Utakata and his master stood up.

"I called both of you out here for a reason," the Mizukage began. "You already know about the attack and elimination of the Kaguya clan, I presume?"

Harusame nodded. "Ameyuri-sama gave us a brief overview. She said there is one sole survivor."

"Good! You're informed," Mei commented before gesturing to the boy. He tensed as everyone's eyes turned to look at him.

"His name is Kimimaro," Zabuza drawled, keeping a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let his age fool you, he's one of the most talented shinobi I've seen in my life. He actually manages to come close to Haku's level, despite his age."

Ameyuri giggled. "I think you're becoming more paternal by the day, Zabuza-kun," she teased with a wink.

"Shut up, hag, or I'll have Haku freeze you to the lake while you sleep. Haku was the one that captured this kid, by the way."

"As if he'd do it! Haku is the nicest, kindest boy I have ever met in my life!"

"Will you two stop it! We're not here to compare prodigies!" Mei said, slamming a hand on her desk. Zabuza and Ameyuri quieted.

"Besides, Kasumi-chan is the same age and just as talented," she added with a small pout. The room fell into an awkward silence.

Utakata stared at everyone, perplexed at their petty arguments._ Are we supposed to be having a serious discussion or not?_

Harusame interrupted, skillfully changing the conversation. "What part do we have to play, Mizukage-sama?" he asked. "If this boy is the last one of the Kaguya-clan, then perhaps it would be best if..."

Utakata suppressed a shudder. He knew a lot of people in the village believed Utakata would be better dead than alive. After the Kaguya clan's attack, he knew the boy ran a similar risk.

The Mizukage sighed tiredly, placing the palm of her hand on her cheek to calm herself. "I don't want Kirigakure to punish children for the sins of their parents anymore," she said. "The boy has the rare Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai. He is more useful alive than dead. Besides..." she looked down at her desk, eyes full of sadness.

"You should have seen the conditions this boy was kept in. His own clansmen were terrified of him. I'm surprised he managed to survive at all. If Haku-kun hadn't captured him, I dread to imagine what kind of situation he would have found himself in."

She finished her explanation and Utakata and Harusame looked at the boy with sympathy. Utakata counted his blessings. He knew that he was lucky that Harusame had always been so kind to him.

"In that case," Harusame said, "how may we be of help?"

"I want you two to take him in," Mei Terumi answered. "Our Torture and Interrogation department has already declared him at low risk of attack. Nevertheless, either one of you is more than sufficient to restrain him if necessary."

"I see," Harusame said. "And I assume we are to teach him ninjutsu as well?"

Ao nodded and spoke for the first time. "Yes. We also need you to fill in any gaps in knowledge related to literacy and history. Not to mention basic emotional support, which Mizukage-sama tells me is important for a child's development."

Utakata wondered if the last statement was a direct quote from the Mizukage herself.

"I understand." Harusame nodded before walking to stand in front of Kimimaro.

The boy tensed and looked away, but with Zabuza holding him, he had no opportunity to escape. Utakata felt a stab of pity for the boy. He had been only five years old, a newly-made jinchuuriki, when Harusame had taken him in for training. All he remembered of that time was crying for weeks. He hoped the boy would eventually get used to living with them.

"Hello, Kimimaro-kun, my name is Harusame," his master said with a smile. He knelt in front of the boy and extended a hand to shake. "It's very nice to meet you."

The boy's eyes widened and he looked around the room in panic before staring into Harusame's eyes. "Nice to meet you too," he whispered, squeezing the offered hand for a second before immediately letting go.

Harusame smiled kindly before standing up and ruffling Kimimaro's hair. "Don't worry about anything," he said. "I'll teach you everything you need to know."

The Mizukage cleared her throat. "Well... about that..."

Utakata and Harusame turned to look at her with equally confused expressions.

She cleared her throat again. "We don't want you to be his primary teacher, Harusame-sama," Mei said. "We think Utakata-kun is ready for the responsibility."

"What?" Utakata spoke for the first time since he arrived and looked at everyone in the room. "Me? Teacher?"

Ameyuri smirked devilishly. "That's right, Utakata-kun! It's your turn to be a jounin-sensei!"

"Wait, but... huh?" Utakata's eyes darted around the room.

To his dismay, everyone, including Harusame, looked amused at his reaction. Utakata wanted to run away from the responsibility. Completing normal missions already took so much time away from his sleeping schedule. He dreaded to imagine the time commitment with babysitting a prodigy.

"Don't worry, Utakata-kun," Harusame said while biting his lip- a clear indication that he was suppressing his laughter. "I'll still be around to help. You're old enough to take your own student under your wing."

_No, I'm not! I'm only seventeen! I'm basically still a kid!_ Utakata wanted to protest, but based on the looks on everyone's faces, he knew it would be for nothing. He gulped, looked determinedly away from Harusame, and walked to stand in front of Kimimaro.

"My name is Utakata," he told the boy with a frown. "I'm your master now. Listen to everything I say, got it?"

He heard snorts and suppressed giggles from the older shinobi around him. He forced his face not to turn red. _What did I do to deserve this? Was I truly evil in a past life or what?_

"I... Yes, Utakata-sama," the boy said as he stared down at his toes. The urge to run away resurfaced, but Utakata suppressed it. He had only been a teacher for a few seconds, and he had already embarrassed himself and intimidated his student.

Utakata cleared his throat and looked away to stare at the wall. "In that case, I think it's time for us to go home."

"Home?" Kimimaro looked up, eyes full of curiosity.

Utakata nodded. "Yes, our lunch was interrupted. Are you hungry?"

Kimimaro frowned. "A little, Utakata-sama."

"In that case, let's go," Utakata said.

He bowed to the Mizukage briefly before running to the window and jumping out. He hoped Harusame and Kimimaro were following, or he might actually die of embarrassment.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Hmm... what am I going to do with Kimimaro... I wonder...**

**Thanks so much for reading! I love all of you and I hope you have a wonderful day.**

**You can talk to me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. Thanks so much to the r/fanfiction discord server for motivation and help!**

**Next chapter: Utakata answers existential questions.**


	19. Training Days

**In which Gaara talks to his siblings, Utakata trains Kimimaro, Sasuke gets jealous of Naruto, and Han plans treason.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Excellent work as always, Gaara-sama," Baki commented once Gaara finished his demonstration of a sand clone. "We will probably take another mission soon, once we find something suitable."

Gaara nodded, eager to go home. However, Baki stood with his hands behind his back- which told him he had some news. He suppressed an impatient sigh and waited for the man to speak.

Baki cleared his throat, a clear sign the news might not be positive. _I knew it. What does the Kazekage want now?_

"Gaara-sama, your father..." Baki looked away and swallowed. "Your father has mandated that your siblings will live with you starting tomorrow. He believes that you three would benefit from spending time together outside of training sessions."

Gaara blinked in surprise. _Living? With me? Why now?_

After their initial introduction, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro had started training as a team. With Baki's instructions, they had completed drills and exercises together. However, he rarely exchanged words with Temari and he had yet to talk with Kankuro at all. He really didn't know how living together would work.

Gaara nodded reluctantly and Baki sighed, obviously relieved that he hadn't protested. With that announcement out of the way, Gaara went home, trying to put his feelings into words and failing.

He knew that having his siblings nearby would change a lot. Since Yashamaru's death, Gaara had lived alone. The only visits came from caretakers to supply him with food and other necessities. With more free time than he knew what to do with, he spent his nights cooking, cleaning, and taking care of his cacti collection. _That'll change if Temari and Kankuro live with me._ A sense of dread and impending doom kept him fretting the entire night, unable to relax at all.

The next morning, Temari and Kankuro moved in, choosing from the many empty rooms in the house. He heard his father, Kankuro, and Temari speaking to each other from downstairs. His father's voice only served to keep himself locked inside his room.

Even when the Kazekage left, Gaara hid away for the remainder of the day, not wanting to interact with his siblings. Eventually, however, his growling stomach compelled him to go out in search of food. He left his room and headed downstairs, where he could hear voices talking inside the kitchen. He swallowed, forced his face into a calm mask, and stepped inside.

He found Kankuro and Temari at the dinner table. They laughed and talked while they cradled glasses of water in their hands. They fell silent when Gaara entered. They stared at him in shock and fear. Temari was the first one to recover.

"H-hello, Gaara!" she greeted, trying to smile and failing. "How are you?"

In front of her, Kankuro grunted and glared at Gaara, silent as usual.

Gaara stared back at them in silence, contemplating the question. He knew his sister was only asking out of obligation, but part of him still wanted to answer sincerely. He stood silently for so long that his siblings shifted in their seats.

"Hungry," he answered in the end, walking to the fridge and leaving with some fruit in his hands. _I'll get something more filling once they go to sleep._

His siblings said nothing else, simply watching him walk away with his prize. He heard an outbreak of whispers once he left the kitchen.

He walked as fast as he could back to his room, not wanting to listen to anything they said. His facade broke as soon as he was in the relative safety of his bedroom. He stared at the fruit in his hands with a frown.

Despite knowing that a relationship with a normal person was doomed to fail, part of him desired their companionship. He wanted to spend time with them, eating in their presence, but he couldn't. _I can't trust anyone, especially anyone from Sunagakure._

Alone in his room, he took a bite of an apple.

From that first encounter, Gaara tried to see his siblings as little as possible. However, he couldn't avoid them all the time. Whenever he wandered out to use the toilet or make himself a meal, he often bumped into them. Temari, who spoke to him as if he were a stray dog, concealed her fear with kindness. Meanwhile, Kankuro used anger to hide how terrified he truly was.

For the first few days, Kankuro didn't say a single word to him. He only scowled and ran away. They lived in tense silence until Kankuro finally snapped.

"Don't you feel bad about all the people you killed?" Kankuro yelled. He slammed the palms of his hands on the table where Gaara was eating.

"Kankuro..." Temari said, grabbing onto his sleeve. He shook her off. Gaara took another bite of his food, forcing his face not to display any emotion.

"Don't you have any shame?" Kankuro continued. "So many people died because of you! And so many buildings were destroyed! It's all your fault!"

Gaara took another bite of his curry while Kankuro seethed, grinding his teeth.

"It's because of you that our mother is dead!" he shouted.

Disoriented, Gaara paused as he placed his spoon down. He shifted his eyes up to stare at his brother, forcing his face to remain impassive. _How much they know about what happened to our mother?_ he wondered to himself as he looked at his brother.

"Kankuro!" Temari shouted, the angriest Gaara had seen her yet. Gaara blinked up at her, surprised at her defense.

"Don't make him angry!" she continued. "Do you want him to destroy more of the village?"

Gaara's spark of hope disappeared. _So that's what she's most concerned about. I should have known_

"Kankuro," Gaara said his brother's name for the first time. Kankuro flinched and Gaara frowned. "Temari..." he continued, wishing for support from his sister, but she took a step back instead.

Gaara thought about what he wanted to say but couldn't think of an answer. He looked down at his unfinished meal and found that his appetite had left him. Part of him wanted to cry and scream, but he forced his face into a now-familiar mask. He stood up, pushing his chair back, and walked away, leaving his unfinished dish on the table.

"Baki says we will have a mission soon," he said as he departed.

Both Temari and Kankuro said nothing in retort. As usual, they broke out into furious whispering once Gaara was out of the room. Gaara clenched his fists in frustration as he left.

He walked to his room and collapsed on the bed he couldn't use, hating Sunagakure with every fiber of his being. However, he couldn't try anything. His father would kill him and Gaara would never get to see any of the other jinchuuriki in person.

He needed to stay in Sunagakure as long as he could endure._ Hopefully, it won't be much longer._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata had no idea what he was doing.

Thankfully, after jumping through the Mizukage's window, Harusame and the boy had followed after him. The three of them had arrived back at Harusame's estate, where they had warmed up their meal and eaten together.

Utakata tried to talk with his new charge. However, the boy, Kimimaro, didn't speak unless spoken to first. He answered reluctantly, sharing snippets of information about the Kaguya clan. His statements only served to confirm the worst rumors surrounding his clan. He didn't know how Kimimaro had managed to survive in that environment.

After lunch, Utakata gave Kimimaro a tour of the estate before leading him to the gardens. They sat together in silence. Occasionally, Utakata laid down on the grass or blew bubbles. He wanted to talk to the boy, but he had no idea what to say.

Kimimaro said nothing the entire time, tailing Utakata like a shadow until it was time to sleep. They went to their respective rooms after dinner, agreeing to meet up in the morning for their first day of training.

Now, Utakata stared at the boy standing in front of him. Kimimaro stared impassively back, a small frown the only thing betraying his uneasiness. Utakata sighed. _I think I'd rather be on an assassination mission right now._

"All right," Utakata said with as much cheer as he could muster, which was not much. "First things first, show me what skills you already have. I can make a training plan based on that."

"Yes, Master." Kimimaro bowed his head. Utakata grimaced. He had always hated overly ceremonial displays.

"Don't need to be so formal," he said. "First, I want to see your physical conditioning. What's your endurance and stamina?"

Kimimaro began to bend forward into a bow before he stopped himself and he nodded instead. _Progress._

"I'm not sure, Master," Kimimaro said.

"Too formal," Utakata insisted. "Sensei is fine."

"All right... sensei."

Utakata nodded, relieved. "We'll go on a run together," Utakata decided. "See if you can keep up with my pace and for how long. If you start feeling tired, just say stop and we will move on to the next test. Okay?"

"Okay."

Without waiting for his response, Utakata sprinted away. Kimimaro hesitated for only a second before following, keeping pace with Utakata despite his smaller strides. Utakata blinked in surprise. _This boy has good speed already._

Utakata ran for over an hour without slowing down, at one point increasing his speed when Kimimaro remained at his side. His student stuck to him like a shadow, not appearing tired at all, even in the heat and humidity of early summer. When Kimimaro continued to say nothing, Utakata was the one that called for the exercise to end.

"You have good stamina, Kimimaro," he said as he stopped at the center of the training grounds.

"Thank you, master." Kimimaro stood in front of him. Despite running for more than an hour, the only signs of exertion were thin droplets of sweat on his brow. Utakata was impressed. _I definitely could not have done that at his age, jinchuuriki or not._

"Mizukage-sama said you have a kekkei genkai," Utakata said. "It's the... uh... shi... kotsu... uh... shi... what was it again?"

"Shikotsumyaku," Kimimaro answered effortlessly.

"Yeah that. What is it anyway?"

Kimimaro was silent for a few seconds as he mulled the question over. "I can control my skeletal structure," he answered.

"Skeletal structure?" Utakata wished he had listened more to Harusame's lectures about the clans of Kirigakure.

Kimimaro nodded. He lifted a hand up. Small phalanges emerged from his fingertips and fell to the ground. Kimimaro lowered his hand. Utakata stared at the small bones on the ground. It was a sickening sight, yet Utakata couldn't look away.

"H-how much control do you have?" Utakata asked in wonder.

"I have near-total control," Kimimaro said. "I can take out my bones and use them as weapons. I can also control how strong they are. I can alter the shape too. That's why..." Kimimaro paused, looked down, and swallowed. "That's why the other people in my clan were scared. They... the shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai is very rare, even in my clan."

Utakata hummed in understanding. "Having the ability to control your skeletal structure is very advantageous in battle," he said. "I can see why they would be afraid of you."

Kimimaro flinched and looked down. Guilt settled into his stomach at the sight. _Maybe I shouldn't have been so blunt._

"Now I understand why the Mizukage wanted me to teach you specifically," Utakata said. He tried to make his voice as gentle as possible.

The boy looked up, a small frown on his face.

"We're the same, Kimimaro," Utakata said. "The people of Kirigakure are terrified of me, too."

"What? Why?" Kimimaro looked up at him, eyes wide open.

"I have a very dangerous ability," Utakata explained. "If I really wanted to, I could probably destroy half of Kirigakure before being brought down. There's not much that can truly stop a bijuu on a rampage."

"A bijuu?" Kimimaro asked.

Utakata sighed and looked away. He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. _I've never had to explain this to anyone before._

"A bijuu is a creature made of chakra," he said. "When I was very young, the Six-Tails was sealed inside me, giving me partial access to his chakra. It's been a pain, to be honest, but I have received a lot of abilities I wouldn't otherwise have."

"I see," Kimimaro said as he mulled over Utakata's explanation, his frown deepening.

"I think the Mizukage made a good choice," Utakata said as he scratched the back of his neck. "We've both been gifted in ways we didn't want." Utakata looked at the sky before glancing down at his student again.

Kimimaro shifted uneasily. "What's the point of being given this ability?" he asked. "How... how did you decide that your life was worth living?"

Utakata frowned. _Not even ten years old and already questioning his reason for existing._

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just know why I want to keep existing."

"Why is that?" Kimimaro asked, desperation leaking from his every pore, waiting for an answer.

"My family," Utakata answered with a smile.

Harusame had been a father in everything but name for most of his life. The other jinchuuriki had been there for him as well, acting as siblings or uncles. He would not trade them for anything in the world.

"I don't have family," Kimimaro said bitterly, a grimace on his face. "I don't even know who my parents were. And even if I knew, they're all dead."

Utakata shook his head. "Family is not blood," he explained. "Your family is your precious people. The ones you care for above anyone else."

"Precious people?" Kimimaro asked, looking close to breaking down. It was the most emotion Utakata had seen in the boy so far. "Where do I find them?"

Utakata shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "And honestly, a lot of times, they find you when you least expect or want them. Sometimes, they just shove themselves into your life and give you headaches." He winced at the memories. "Wait and see. You will find people."

Kimimaro nodded reluctantly as he processed Utakata's words. Utakata forced himself not to shift in unease. He wished Harusame were there. His master was much better at dealing with existential questions.

"Kimimaro," Utakata said when the boy said nothing else. The boy looked up, broken out of his reverie. "Can you show me more of what you can do with your kekkei genkai?"

Taken back to the present, Kimimaro looked up at him. He nodded and took a few paces back. He inhaled. When he exhaled, two sword-shaped bones appeared from his shoulders. With the swords in his hands, he began an intricate kata that looked more like a dance than anything else.

Utakata watched the routine, transfixed. He really didn't know what he was supposed to teach the kid. His fighting skills were already at genin level, if not higher. He saw no flaws in form and his kekkei genkai gave him an advantage over anyone else._ Can't I just promote him to chuunin already?_

When Kimimaro ended his kata, he bowed down to Utakata. Utakata clapped his hands together. Kimimaro only stared down at the ground.

"Well! That was incredibly impressive!" Utakata said with a grin. "Now, I can test your genjutsu and ninjutsu knowledge and then I can recommend you for a promotion already!"

Kimimaro blinked up at him. "What's genjutsu?" he asked.

"An illusion cast using chakra," Utakata explained with a frown, his plans starting to fade away. "A genjutsu can affect your senses and make you believe things that are not true. For example, it can make you see something that's not real."

"What's chakra?"

"It's the energy you use to do ninjutsu, genjutsu, and, to an extent, taijutsu," Utakata explained. "There's a good basic guidebook Harusame-shishou wrote about it. I'll give it to you and you can read it in your free time."

The two fell into silence. Utakata could only hear the sound of the nearby flowing river and the birds in the trees. Kimimaro stared up at Utakata with a small frown on his face, looking like he had something to confess. Utakata waited patiently, not wanting to intimidate the boy more than he already had.

"I don't know how to read," Kimimaro finally admitted.

Utakata suppressed a groan of exasperation as his earlier hopes for a short mission flew out the window._ I guess natural talent doesn't account for everything._

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Hey, Sasuke, look!" Naruto yelled as he arrived at the training area. "I've been practicing a new trick! I bet you can't do it!"

Sasuke snorted. "As if you could do something I can't."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke before throwing a kunai at a training post. Without hesitating, he took out a second kunai, which hit the first, causing it to ricochet in the opposite direction. Both kunai hit separate targets in the center.

"My brother can do that with ten kunai," Sasuke said with a grunt. "He says it's easy once you get the hang of it."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Despite his words, Naruto could tell that Sasuke was impressed. _He never says what he really thinks._

"Well, if it's so easy, why don't you try it?" Naruto asked as he placed two kunai in Sasuke's hands.

Sasuke looked alarmed for a second before frowning at him. "I bet it's easier than it looks," he said.

Naruto shrugged and watched as Sasuke took deep breaths in and out. He glared at the first target and shifted his eyes to look at the second. He grasped the first kunai tightly in his hand, miming a throwing motion. Naruto waited, but Sasuke only pretended to throw.

"Just do it already!" Naruto yelled, tired of waiting.

Sasuke startled and glared at Naruto. When Naruto only glared back, Sasuke returned his attention to the trick with a frown on his face.

Sasuke threw the first kunai. Less than a second later, he threw the second. It hit the first and caused it to bounce in a separate direction. However, instead of landing on the targets, one kunai flew off into the forest while the other landed on the ground, yards away from its target.

Naruto blinked at Sasuke. He had practiced the trick with Yugito and even his first attempt had not been so bad. He burst into laughter.

"What?" he yelled as he laughed. "That was so weak! I thought you said it was going to be easy!"

Sasuke's face turned red as he snarled at Naruto furiously. "It was the first time I tried!" Sasuke yelled back. "I bet you didn't do so well the first time, either!"

Naruto shook his head. "No," he admitted. "But that just sucked, ya know!"

Sasuke growled. "Just watch! I'll get it soon enough! I'll probably be better at it than you!"

"If you say so," he retorted with a snort. "I'll believe it when I see it."

With a grimace, Sasuke fetched his kunai and repeated the throw. Once again, the weapons flew off in different directions from their target. Naruto said nothing, only smirking at the furious pout on Sasuke's face. Sasuke tried a few more times, grimacing when he saw the smirk on Naruto's face. it was only on the tenth attempt that Naruto broke and decided to help Sasuke.

"Your grip is too tight, ya know," Naruto said, watching Sasuke stumble when he tried to throw the kunai.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Your grip is too tight!" Naruto repeated. "You need to relax a little!"

With that observation, Naruto threw two kunai again. As before, the second kunai ricocheted from the first. Both hit their intended targets in the middle.

"Don't tell me what to do," Sasuke said with a deep frown on his face. "My brother says you need to keep a solid grip on a kunai or someone can take it away."

Naruto shook his head._ I can't make change his mind. _Sasuke was unbelievably stubborn when it comes to his brother. He wondered what kind of person he was if Sasuke was so obsessed with him.

"Just keep trying your way!" Naruto said. "I'm not gonna spar with you 'til you admit I was right, ya know!

"Fine," Sasuke retorted, turning his attention back to the targets.

"Fine!" Naruto yelled. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and sat down a few feet away, leaning against a post with a huff.

Silently, he watched Sasuke try again and again to hit the targets. Despite all the attempts, he kept failing. Naruto scowled. _Can't you just listen to me for once?_

With nothing else to do except watch Sasuke, Naruto took out a book from his bag. He opened it up and started to read. His speed had been improving a lot and he rarely needed to sound out words anymore. Yagura had helped him a lot. He was surprisingly patient, although he often got a faraway look on his face when helping Naruto.

Naruto read. A few times, he looked up from his book to see if Sasuke was doing better, but the other boy refused to meet his gaze. Naruto rolled his eyes.

They spent the next few hours in silence as Naruto waited for Sasuke to give up and ask for his advice. Meanwhile, Sasuke kept throwing kunai at the targets in vain and failing every time.

It was only at sunset that anything interesting happened. Naruto was getting ready to throw in the towel and head home when he heard footsteps coming from behind him.

Naruto turned back to look at the entrance of the training grounds. A tall teenager walked in. He looked a lot like Sasuke, dark serious eyes and pale skin. However, unlike Sasuke, he had long hair tied back in a low ponytail. Naruto frowned at him as he stood up._ Is he Sasuke's famous brother?_

"Nii-san!" Sasuke yelled, putting his kunai into his holster. "What are you doing here?"

"Mother was getting worried because you still hadn't come home from the Academy," his brother said. "She asked me to find you."

Sasuke nodded at Itachi's words. "Sorry," Sasuke said. "I lost track of time."

Naruto walked closer to where Sasuke and his brother were standing.

"Hello," Naruto greeted warily.

Sasuke's brother turned his gaze down to him.

"Good evening," he returned the greeting. "My name is Itachi Uchiha. Thank you for spending time with my brother." He bowed his head.

Naruto blinked in surprise at the respectful tone. He bowed his head down briefly, not sure how else to react. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he said. "It's... nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he said. Naruto got the impression that Itachi was a lot more serious and respectful than his younger brother.

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Sasuke says you're really strong and that you know a lot about ninjutsu and stuff."

"A lot of people seem to think so," Itachi answered, face neutral. Naruto grinned.

"Sasuke can't figure out this trick to throwing kunai," Naruto tattled. "He says you can do it, but Sasuke can't figure it out. I tell him to relax his grip, but he doesn't want to do it!"

"Really?" Itachi asked. Naruto saw Sasuke look down at his feet in embarrassment.

"Yeah! Look! Look! I can do it but he can't!" Naruto said.

With that declaration, Naruto took out two kunai and threw them, showing off the trick perfectly once again. With the task done, he looked back at Sasuke, a smirk on his face.

"I can do it!" Sasuke lied.

"Oh yeah! I wanna see it, ya know!" Naruto yelled while going to fetch his kunai.

Sasuke gulped. He looked up at his brother as if waiting for him to interrupt, but Itachi was silent. Naruto smirked. _He's not gonna save you, ya know?_

Sasuke took out his kunai and threw them again. However, instead of hitting their two separate targets, one kunai landed on the ground while another flew away in the distance. Itachi said nothing and Naruto could see Sasuke's face burning in embarrassment. Without saying anything, Sasuke walked away to pick up his kunai.

"Argh! I told you to relax the grip!" Naruto yelled exasperatedly. "You're too tense!"

"You're not tense enough!" Sasuke yelled back, putting the kunai back.

"What does that mean? I got it right!"

"You're too relaxed!"

"You're too much of a jerk!"

"You're a loser!"

"Shut up and relax!"

Naruto prepared himself for a spar when Sasuke tried to lunge forward. Before they could begin, however, Itachi grabbed his younger brother by the shoulder.

"Sasuke, you're too tense," Itachi said.

"W-what?" Sasuke asked, dumbfounded. Naruto smirked._ I told you so!_

Itachi nodded. Without waiting, he took out two kunai and threw them at their targets. As expected, they hit their marks exactly.

"Try again, but slacken your hand," Itachi said, leading Sasuke back to the throwing point.

Naruto watched Sasuke breathing in and out to relax his grip on the kunai. He threw them. That time, instead of falling or ricocheting in the wrong direction, the two kunai hit their targets- a little off-center. Sasuke smiled at the victory.

"Did you see that?" he said as he pulled on Itachi's sleeve. "I did it!"

"Congratulations, little brother," Itachi said. Sasuke grinned. Naruto thought it was the first time he's seen Sasuke so excited.

"It's off-center," Naruto muttered. Sasuke glared at him and Naruto stuck his tongue out in return. However, he also beamed at him in congratulations. Sasuke looked away. Naruto rolled his eyes. _Just take the compliment, jerk._

"Keep practicing, Sasuke," Itachi said. "We need to go home, say goodbye to your friend."

"He's not my friend!" Sasuke and Naruto protested at the same time.

Itachi opened his mouth as if to say something before closing it and shaking his head. Without any other words, he took Sasuke's shoulder and led him away from the training area.

"Goodbye!" Naruto yelled with a wave of his arm.

"Hn. See you," Sasuke responded as he walked away, refusing to meet his eyes.

Naruto grinned as he watched the two brothers leave. _At least Itachi is not a jerk._

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Is he really not your friend?" Itachi asked Sasuke once they had left the training area. "You seem to spend a lot of time with him."

Sasuke scoffed. "He just has really good endurance, so we train together. I don't really like him."

"If you say so," Itachi responded with obvious disbelief.

"He talks a lot with the Hyuuga heiress. Whatever her name is."

Itachi sighed. "You need to remember your classmates, little brother."

Sasuke shrugged.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Do you know why Onoki wants to see both of us?" Roshi asked Han as they walked down the hall to the Tsuchikage's office.

"Not sure," Han answered, a small frown visible through the gap in his armor.

Roshi sighed. Onoki hadn't called for both of them outside of general meetings since the Third Shinobi War ended. The world had been at peace for the past eight years and he hoped Onoki's bad nature wouldn't end that. _If he tries to start a new war, I might try to kill him myself. I'll probably die trying, but the risk might be worth it._

They reached the end of the hallway. Roshi didn't hesitate before pushing the door open, Han following behind him. Inside the office, Onoki sat alone behind his desk, looking at a map in front of him with a smirk.

"You called for us, Tsuchikage-sama?" Han said as he bowed down in front of the Tsuchikage. Roshi followed at his side.

"Yes, Han, Roshi." Onoki turned to each of them in turn. "We received some interesting intel about Takigakure."

A chill ran up Roshi's spine. Fuu had told them about the chaos in the past few weeks. Their village leader had died, Fuu's secret had become public, and the new head of Takigakure was barely more than a child. Fuu was caught in the middle: shunned by her classmates and fellow villagers. He knew her safety was in jeopardy while Takigakure settled down.

"What news have you heard?" Han asked, voice free of hesitation and worry. Roshi wished he had the same level of self-control.

"It's related to the jinchuuriki of Takigakure," Onoki said with a smirk. Roshi bit his cheek in an effort to appear as composed as Han.

"There is a jinchuuriki in Takigakure?" Han asked, feigning surprise.

"Well, we have always known they possessed the Nanabi," Onoki said. "But we didn't know any details. We didn't know if the bijuu was contained inside a jinchuuriki, or if the jinchuuriki had any sort of control over it."

"However, an informant of mine had confirmed that they do have a jinchuuriki," Onoki continued. "And that their jinchuuriki is only a child: a young girl."

Roshi's heart beat faster inside his chest. "What do you expect Iwagakure to do with this information?" he asked.

"Iwagakure? Nothing for now," Onoki answered. "However, we have been given an excellent opportunity. In addition to learning about this jinchuuriki, my informant has let me know that Takigakure is currently in a very precarious situation."

"How so?" Han asked, a frown the only sign of discomfort.

Onoki grinned. "The jinchuuriki's identity was discovered during an attack on Takigakure. The previous village head, Hisen, was killed during the attack and left his son in charge. From what my informant says, the new village head is incredibly young and inexperienced."

"What else has the informant told you?" Roshi asked._ So some of the events of that day came out._

"Not much in detail," Onoki admitted. "My informant got his information through an Amegakure shinobi that managed to escape. Apparently, a Takigakure missing-nin also abandoned the village the same day. However, my source has been unable to find him. All that my informant could figure out is that the jinchuuriki is a young girl. "

"I see." Han nodded. Roshi felt his shoulders marginally relax at the news. _So they don't know Fuu's name or what she looks like._

"What would you like for us to do, Tsuchikage-sama?" Roshi asked. "Why have you called us here?"

Onoki grinned, showing all his teeth. Roshi felt a strong sense of foreboding coursing throughout his body. He bit his tongue to keep himself from saying anything.

"I want you two to enter Takigakure, find this child, and bring her back to Iwagakure," Onoki said. "If you are unable to capture her, you are to assassinate her and bring back the body as proof."

"You can't!" Roshi yelled, slamming his hands on the desk.

"What do you mean I can't!?" Onoki yelled back, face thunderous as he flew up in order to look down at Roshi.

Roshi flinched and tried to get his expression back in order.

"I only mean... uh... I don't know if it would be the best idea," Roshi said. He tried to force himself to appear like the tool Onoki desired above anything else.

"I believe Roshi is worried we would be starting a new war," Han explained with his calm voice. If Roshi didn't know any better, he would have thought Han didn't care about Fuu's fate.

Onoki grunted, floating back down and sitting behind the desk.

"It's a rare opportunity to surpass the other villages," Onoki explained. "Suna and Kumo are still recovering from the effects of the war. Konoha has an old and weakened man as their Hokage. Kiri is focused on its internal affairs. If we gain an advantage now, we will be unstoppable in the next shinobi war."

"Konoha has a treaty with Taki," Han said. "If we attack Takigakure and take their jinchuuriki, we are declaring war on Konoha in all but name. Suna is also allied with Konoha. We would see attacks from three fronts. Kumogakure is an ally, but they are unlikely to fight by our side if we start a war."

Onoki waved Han's objection away with a smirk. "It doesn't matter if Konoha, Suna, and Taki declare war. We would have three bijuu at our disposal. At that point, no village could threaten us. Konoha is still rebuilding and mourning from the Kyuubi attack six years ago. Even if they have a jinchuuriki, six years is not enough to gain control over the Kyuubi."

"I understand," Roshi said, trying to keep himself calm, "but... I don't know if attacking a child is the best course of action, Tsuchikage-sama."

"You've done worse things during the last war, Roshi," Onoki said with a scoff.

Roshi grimaced. "I remember," he said.

Grown men and women sobbing and pleading for their mothers. Recently graduated genin killed on the battlefield, too young to have truly lived. Shinobi forced to take their own friends out of their misery. He never wanted to see anything like that again. He wanted to be responsible for it even less.

"When do you expect us to set out, Tsuchikage-sama?" Han asked. Roshi's heart beat faster in his chest.

"As soon as possible," Onoki answered. "Taki's jinchuuriki is currently vulnerable, but they will make a move to protect it soon."

"Can we set out tomorrow morning?" Han asked. Roshi looked up at his friend. _Han has a plan. What does he want us to do?_

"Of course," Onoki answered. "No one is to find out about this, even other Iwagakure shinobi. This is a top-secret S-rank mission until you bring back the jinchuuriki or her body. Am I to be understood?"

Roshi nodded reluctantly. Despite knowing Han didn't plan to follow Onoki's instructions, he couldn't help but feel like a traitor to Fuu and the other jinchuuriki.

Onoki nodded, satisfied in the false belief that his shinobi would follow orders.

"Is there anything else, Tsuchikage-sama?" Han asked.

Onoki shook his head. "That will be all. Prepare to leave as soon as you're ready."

Han and Roshi bowed their heads down together before turning around and leaving the office. Roshi bit his tongue.

"Let's make a plan in my apartment," Han said once the door was closed behind them. Roshi understood his true intentions._ Stay quiet and wait. _Roshi nodded in understanding as they walked together down the hallway.

Upon leaving the Tsuchikage's office building, they headed toward Han's apartment, walking side by side. Roshi wanted to run, but they needed to remain as inconspicuous as possible. They already got a lot of attention from the people of Iwagakure as it was.

"What the fuck!" Roshi yelled once they were alone in Han's apartment and he had locked the door behind him. "What the fuck does that bastard want us to do?"

Han scoffed, his facade falling in the safety of his home. "I know, Roshi," he said with a grimace.

Roshi clenched his fists at his sides and forced himself to exhale. "What are we going to do?"

"What else can we do?" Han asked. "Ignore the order."

"Ignore it?" Roshi asked. "Can't we go to Onoki's office, kill him, and institute ourselves as the new Tsuchikage?"

Han sighed. "You want to be the Tsuchikage?"

"Not really," Roshi admitted.

"Me neither. Besides, even working together, I'm not sure if we could defeat the old man. He's surprisingly hardy for his age. Not to mention that his guards would jump in as soon as we started to attack."

"So what are we going to do?" Roshi demanded.

"Pretend we're leaving on the mission, but in reality run away from Iwa," Han answered, plopping himself down on the sofa.

"Run away?"

"We can meet up with Yagura or something," Han said nonchalantly as he stretched his arms over his head. Unlike Roshi, whose heart seemed to be beating a mile a minute, Han looked relaxed at being given the order to kidnap and potentially assassinate a ten-year-old girl.

"What would we do with Yagura?"

"Help him on his mission to find this organization chasing down jinchuuriki," Han answered. "Or just meet up and talk to him in person for once. I've met Yugito before. Yagura would be interesting."

"You're taking this incredibly well, Han," Roshi complained. "I don't think it's going to be as easy as you think. Once Onoki finds out we didn't go to Takigakure, he's going to hunt us down."

Han shrugged. "There are a lot of powerful players already hunting us down," he said. "What's one more at this point?"

Roshi sighed. "Shouldn't we talk to Yagura about this first? We don't even know if he wants company."

"That man is loneliness personified, Roshi," Han said. "He would probably cry if he had someone at his side. The three of us might not stick together the entire time, but he will definitely enjoy the company."

Roshi chuckled. _Well, Han is right about that._

Roshi sat down at the armchair next to Han. He felt much calmer already. Onoki's intentions with Fuu had rattled him more than he wanted to admit. Reassured with Han's words, he took a few seconds to stare at the ceiling and allow his heart rate to slow down.

"I guess I should pack anything we wish to take with us?" he asked once the silence had stretched on for a few minutes.

"Probably. I have an extra sealing scroll if you need it."

Roshi shook his head. "So do I. There's not much I'm planning to take with me, anyway."

Roshi stood up and made his way to Han's door. "See you tonight," he said. "We can discuss the situation in the Room."

"Of course," Han said. "Want to place a bet?"

"A bet?" Roshi raised a curious eyebrow.

"If Yagura will cry about having new company or not?"

Roshi chuckled as he left Han's apartment and headed toward his own. He had a few hours to prepare everything he needed.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"So tomorrow morning when we wake up, we're supposed to head out to Takigakure and kidnap Fuu," Roshi finished explaining to Yagura.

Yagura sat cross-legged in front of him, a hand stroking his chin. After the children had left the Room and gone to sleep, Han had called on Yagura. The former Mizukage had joined them soon afterward, where they had told him about Onoki's orders.

"So you're not going to follow this order, I presume?" Yagura asked. "If you do, you will just throw the entire world into chaos."

"We know," Roshi said with a nod. "I might have tried fighting him, but the Tsuchikage is too powerful, even in his old age. Even working together, I'm not sure if Han and I could hold him off."

"What's your plan, then?" Yagura asked.

Han and Roshi shared glances.

"We're going to ignore the order," Han said.

"Of course." Yagura nodded his agreement.

"And when we're far enough away, we will find you. We will set out together to track down the organization you're looking for," Roshi added.

"Find me?" Yagura asked, surprised.

"We might not stay all three together the entire time," Han admitted. "But three heads are better than one. It's not like we have anything else to do if we abandon Iwagakure."

"You could claim asylum in a different village," Yagura suggested.

"Will becoming part of a different village actually change much?"

Yagura sighed and shook his head. "Not likely," he admitted. "Still, once you leave Iwagakure, you can spend it relaxing in hot springs or at the beach instead. Tracking down this mercenary group is my responsibility. I have to protect Kirigakure. You don't need to follow my lead."

Roshi scoffed. "To be honest, I don't really care about Kirigakure," he admitted. "But... it's your village. Your family is there, isn't it? We will help you, not because we have to, but because we want to."

Han nodded along. "We leave Iwagakure tomorrow morning," he said. "Where can we meet up? Somewhere in the Land of Fire would be ideal. It's one of the most stable regions."

Speechless, Yagura's eyes widened at their admissions. For a wild second, Roshi worried that Yagura would actually burst into tears. To his relief, the former Mizukage's face remained composed.

"I... uh..." Yagura cleared his throat. "I can tell you more once you are closer. Talk to me once you get to Tanzaku Quarters. I'll meet you somewhere there. People don't ask questions in Tanzaku Quarters. It's infamous for a reason."

"Of course," Han said with a nod of his head.

Yagura cleared his throat again. "I will see you soon," he said. "Goodnight."

Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared from the Room, leaving Han and Roshi sitting together side by side.

"You think he might cry?" Roshi asked with a smirk.

"Definitely crying now," Han answered. "I told you so."

"It wasn't a question of if, but of when," Roshi retorted. Han chuckled.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I wrote, like, another thousand words of Kimimaro and Utakata interacting, but it was pure fluff. I'll probably publish it... eventually.**

**You can talk to me at waffledogwrites on Tumblr.**

**Thanks so much to the r/fanfiction and r/narutofanfiction discord servers. Y'all are awesome, inspiring, and helpful!**

**Next chapter: Fuu takes a test.**


	20. Silence

**In which Fuu takes a test, Roshi and Han travel, and Gaara spends time with his siblings.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

"The last thing I want to see is the henge," Takumi said from behind his desk.

Fuu grinned. Without any hesitation, she put her hands into the ram sign and gathered her chakra. A second later, a perfect copy of Takumi stood in her place giggling. The second Takumi pranced around the classroom. Fuu let go of the transformation and she reappeared, a cloud of smoke surrounding her.

"Look! Sensei! I did it! Do I pass now?" she yelled. Takumi smiled before writing something down on his clipboard.

As Fuu waited for her answer, she thought about the previous exam portions. The written test had been the hardest, with a lot of material that they had yet to cover in her year's group. However, after weeks of study and motivation from Chomei and the other jinchuuriki, she had managed to get through it.

The practical portion had been much easier. Even without extra help, she had held her own against Takumi in a spar, avoiding his attacks and hitting back when necessary. Ninjutsu had been easy too. She had shown off her substitution and clone jutsu without any issues.

"Of course you pass, Fuu-chan," Takumi said as he finished writing on his clipboard. "It's not the best score I've ever seen, but it's enough to graduate early."

Fuu cheered and she scurried closer to his desk. "For real? I'm a genin now?" she grinned.

Takumi nodded. "Yes, here, take your hitai-ate." He held out a new forehead protector for her.

Fuu took it and immediately wrapped it around her head. It felt a lot heavier than she had expected.

"Do I have to wear it around my forehead?" she whined. "It's kind of heavy."

"You don't have to," Takumi answered. Fuu hummed, deep in thought. She would have to think about the best place to tie it.

Takumi grinned before his face turned serious once more and he met her eyes. "Fuu, I hope you know what this means."

Fuu's heart began to beat faster. "What do you mean, Takumi-sensei?" she asked.

"You're no longer a child," he said. "Normally, you would be sent on missions along with other genin, but because of... the incident, you won't be able to leave the country for a long time."

"What? But... why?" she yelled, slamming the palms of her hands against the desk.

Takumi sighed. "Your safety is the most important thing," he explained. "Until we know for sure that no one outside of Takigakure knows you are a jinchuuriki, we can't allow you to leave. If someone were to capture you, or worse, the safety of the village would be at risk."

Fuu nodded, clutching at the hem of her skirt. She had already known the risks, but with the hitai-ate on her forehead, the threat of war seemed more real._ I still wish I could go on missions, though._

"So what's going to happen to me?" Fuu asked. "What's the point of making me a genin at all?"

"You will be training outside of the village," Takumi said. "I will go with you. A few other Takigakure shinobi will also go with us. We will stay in hiding until we believe you are strong enough to defend yourself and the village."

"So we won't be living in Takigakure anymore?" she asked, biting her lip.

Takumi's eyes softened. "No. Not for a few years at least. Not until we confirm your safety and the safety of the village."

"I see..." she answered, looking down at her feet. Despite the hate she had gotten since Suien's attack, the idea of abandoning the village left a pit in her stomach. It had always been her home. She would miss it.

"Don't worry though, Fuu," Takumi said, able to read her expression. "We will still return to talk to Shibuki-sama and Senji-sama and give our progress reports. And if everything goes according to plan, we can come back to the village before you know it."

Fuu bit her lip and nodded. "Will I have time to pack?" she asked.

"You will," Takumi answered. "We leave tomorrow afternoon. You have the rest of the day to prepare everything you want to take with us. We will stay in a compound outside of the village a few hours away from here. It has all the basic amenities."

"I understand," Fuu said, trying to inject cheerfulness into her voice. "I will be ready by tomorrow."

Takumi nodded and smiled at her. Fuu grinned back, although she had to force it. She turned around and left the classroom. She walked back home, making a mental catalog of everything she planned to take along with her. She ignored everyone she met along the way.

Once Fuu arrived home, she spent the rest of the day going through all of her things. She had more clothes than she had imagined, many of which she had not worn since Kushina was still alive. She sorted through her weapons as well, leaving behind her broken or rusted tools. After hours of sorting, she found herself with two boxes of her personal things and a large bag full of weapons.

She fell asleep late, exhausted after all her work. _I hope whoever is going with me will help me carry everything._

When she appeared in the Room, Roshi and Naruto were listening to something that Gaara was saying. Their faces were intense and focused on Gaara's words. They only waved hello to her before returning to their conversation.

"And then, he said that I should listen to him because he's the older one," Gaara complained, face full of annoyance. "Even though I have a lot more experience than he does and even Temari listens to what I say."

"Is your brother causing you trouble again, Gaara-chan?" she asked as she joined their circle.

Gaara rolled his eyes and snorted. "Yeah," he answered. "After he complained about me not caring about Sunagakure, he didn't want to listen to anything I say! He thinks that just 'cause he's older than me, he can boss me around!"

Fuu grimaced in sympathy. Ever since Gaara's siblings had moved in with him, his life had gotten more difficult. Ever since, he had felt disconnected in his own home, surrounded by people who hated and feared him. She hoped the day Gaara left Sunagakure would come soon.

"And what's going on with you, Fuu-chan?" Roshi asked, avoiding her gaze. For the past few days, he had been acting strange but Fuu had no idea as to why. He seemed reluctant about something but she didn't want to pry.

Fuu beamed. Naruto and Gaara look up at her, eyes full of curiosity.

"I got promoted into a genin today!" she announced.

"Congrats!" Naruto yelled as he jumped up to hug her around the midsection. Gaara followed his lead, wrapping his arms around both of them. Fuu grinned down at the children wrapped around her waist.

"A genin?" Roshi asked, surprised. "Already?"

"Yup!" she answered. "I passed the exam! Takumi-sensei said it wasn't as good as someone who had taken all years at the Academy, but that it was good enough to graduate."

"I see," Roshi answered, scratching his beard in contemplation. "Are you going to start doing missions now?"

Fuu sighed heavily and she shook her head. "Not exactly," she said. "Takumi-sensei says that my safety is the most important thing. So I won't be doing missions or anything."

"Oh? Then what's the point?" Roshi asked as he placed a hand on top of her head.

"Shibuki-sama wants me to be out of the Academy," she explained. "So then Takumi-sensei can take me to some secret compound and train me."

"Wait, secret compound? You're not staying inside the village?" Roshi asked. For some reason Fuu couldn't fathom, he appeared relieved about something.

Fuu shook her head. "No, he says it's dangerous for me to stay in Takigakure after my secret got revealed. They want to make sure no one from another country knows about me or, that if they do, they can't find me."

"I see," Roshi answered, eyes full of relief. "Your safety is the most important thing, Fuu. Listen to them and keep yourself safe. Do you hear me?"

Fuu wanted to roll her eyes at his words. _I know how to take care of myself! _However, there was something in Roshi's expression that told her that the man was serious about the warning.

"I will," she promised. She bent her head down and pressed a kiss on Gaara and Naruto's crowns. Naruto giggled while Gaara blushed and grinned. Fuu's heart felt ready to burst at the sight.

"So what have you been learning recently, kids?" she asked.

Immediately, both Gaara and Naruto's eyes lit up. They began to babble about sand clones, kunai, endurance, and team drills over each other. Fuu listened, offering her own advice when needed.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Is this the place?" Roshi asked.

Han looked around the entrance to the village. All around him were gambling houses full of drunkards, call girls, and scammers. In the background, he could see a large castle, emblematic of Tanzaku Quarters. It was the kind of village where people woke up without kidneys.

Han nodded. "This is the place. I'm certain."

Roshi grunted. Side by side, they walked down the main street, ignoring anyone who tried to grab their attention.

For the past few weeks, they had been wandering through the countryside, trying not to leave a trail. Upon abandoning Iwagakure, they had gone down the mountains through the land of Grass. From there, they had traveled through the forests, skirting the border of the land of rain. They knew they had arrived in the Land of Fire when the landscape changed from empty grasslands to giant forests.

They had let go of their disguises after passing through the border. No one outside of the Land of Stone would be able to tell who they were anyway. They also needed to find Yagura as fast as possible. Disguises would only make the task more difficult.

"The castle is this way," Roshi said, pointing down an empty street.

"I think the fastest way is through there," Han said at the same time. He pointed in the opposite direction down an equally deserted street. They stared at each other.

Roshi sighed as he took out a scroll from inside his sleeve. "Do we need to check the map again?"

Han grunted in assent. "Let me see."

Han stared over Roshi's shoulder as he opened the map and started to read. It was an old map, dated during the time of the Second Shinobi War. Roshi grumbled while Han narrowed his eyes in exasperation._ Onoki should have just made an alliance with Konoha. Then we could actually know where we are._

"So if we're here, then that means..." Roshi muttered to himself.

"I think we're actually here," Han responded as he pointed to a different part of the city.

"No! The main street is here, so we have to..."

"The streets changed, so then-"

"You know, you can ask for directions," a deep voice interrupted from behind them. Han turned around and looked down.

In front of him stood a man that could pass as Roshi's father. However, instead of Roshi's red hair and dark eyes, his eyes were a dark pink color while his hair was grey. He leaned against a wall, making him look less like an old man and more like a teenager trying too hard.

"Yagura?" Roshi asked, voice full of annoyance.

The disguised Yagura rolled his eyes and put a finger to his lips. "My name is Akio, not Yagura."

"Ah, yes, of course, Akio," Han said. "We've been searching for you."

"Yes, for a while... father," Roshi said, obviously indignant. Han didn't know why.

Yagura lifted up an eyebrow, equally perplexed, before flinching and looking in the other direction. "So, yeah, anyway, we should go somewhere private to talk."

Yagura turned around and began to make his way back to the main street. Unlike when he first introduced himself, he walked gingerly, like an old man. Han and Roshi followed next to him.

"Would you like any help, father? Maybe I can help you cross the street?" Roshi asked, sounding annoyed about something that Han couldn't understand.

Yagura blushed for some reason and cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary... son. I'm still healthy enough to walk on my own."

Han frowned to himself._ What the hell is going on?_ Not wanting to blow their cover, he followed behind them at a small distance, acting as a respectful bodyguard. Predictably, a few strangers turned to look at him, amazed by his height. Han tried not to fidget. _Maybe I should have used a henge to not stand out._

As Yagura and Roshi walked side by side, Roshi emanated an aura of fury that kept people away. Meanwhile, Yagura hunched over. Han was not sure if it was because he was pretending to be an old man or because he feared Roshi

They traveled through the town for what felt like hours but what must have been only a few minutes. They entered the forest surrounding the village, leaving the chaos and revelry behind. Yagura led them to a small clearing next to a river. Once they were alone, he dropped the act of a feeble old man and he waved a hand nonchalantly.

"The coast is clear," he said. "I set some proximity seals."

"Why the hell are you still using my face for your stunts?" Roshi yelled at once.

_Ah, so that's why Roshi was angry._

"Well, you see..." Yagura said, looking away in embarrassment. "I already sort of started my life as Akio, so changing my face would be too troublesome."

"You can just get a new identity then!" Roshi yelled, crossing his arms across his chest. "Change your face and start over! Why do you even need to use the face of someone you know? Make your own!"

"Uh... well..." Yagura shifted uneasily. "I'm actually not very good at transformations. Whenever I try to make my own face, it always comes out kind of wonky."

"Weren't you a Mizukage?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"So? Everyone has weaknesses," Yagura whined. "Besides, if we travel together, I can just pretend to be Roshi's father, right?"

"I guess?" Han shrugged. Roshi glared up at him as if in betrayal. He huffed in anger and stomped toward the bank of the river. He began to pace back and forth, muttering to himself.

Yagura started to make his way to his side, but Han grabbed onto his shoulder and shook his head. _Just let him get it all out._

Yagura nodded reluctantly and together, the two men set up camp for the night. Han got a fire started while Yagura caught fish from the river. A few minutes later, they had a cozy fire going and a collection of fish cooking on sticks. They sat around the campfire in silence, waiting for the fish to cook and for Roshi to calm down. They watched Roshi pacing, grumbling and occasionally glaring in Yagura's direction.

Yagura fidgeted and walked to Han's side. "How long until he calms down?" he whispered.

Han shrugged. "Not long," he whispered back. "He'll tire himself out when it's time to eat."

Han turned his eyes to look at the fish roasting by the fire. Yagura sat next to him, raising his eyes to glance at Roshi every once in a while. As Han expected, Roshi joined them when the fish was ready to eat.

"Still think you should change your disguise," Roshi grumbled as he sat next to Han, farther away from Yagura.

"Kind of late now," Yagura responded, blowing on his fish to cool it down. "I can be your daddy though, don't worry."

"Please don't say it like that," Roshi said, looking green. Han chuckled. _At least Yagura's not making fun of me this time._

"So what's the plan?" Han asked as he pulled his mask down to eat. At once, Yagura stared at him, face incredulous.

"So that's what you look like under the mask..." the former Mizukage muttered to himself. "For some reason, I was expecting something more interesting. Like, a facial scar or a tentacle."

"A tentacle?" Han rubbed his chin self-consciously. Now that he thought about it, he had never appeared unmasked inside the Room. His armor was too intrinsic to who he was as a person.

"You're just so... normal?" Yagura continued.

"Thank you?" Han answered, taking a bite of his fish. Roshi chuckled, his anger already fading.

Han cleared his throat and tried to get the conversation centered. "So what's the plan then?"

Yagura shrugged. "I don't know, I was kind of hoping you would help me figure out what to do."

"Weren't you the Mizukage? Isn't leadership part of your job description?" Han asked. _This man is surprisingly flaky for a former Kage._

"We all have our weaknesses," Yagura said, chewing on his fish. "Even us Kage."

"Why did they make you the Mizukage, again?"

Yagura shrugged. "The last Mizukage died in mysterious circumstances. I just so happened to be there, ready to take up the mantle."

_Did he kill the last Mizukage? _Han forced himself to leave the speculation for later. He had to focus on the mission at hand.

"What have you been doing in the past few years, anyway?" Roshi asked.

Yagura waved his hand in a vague motion. "You know, going here and there. Collecting information. Fishing."

Han sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting your village?"

"Mei is doing a very good job of it so far," Yagura retorted. "Utakata-kun has been telling me about it. She's improving the Academy system a lot. He said she wants to improve the medical system as well."

Han nodded. "Have you found any new leads about this organization?"

Yagura shook his head in annoyance. "No, I haven't seen this Takigakure man again either. Even though I've been going to the bounty collection center as often as I can without raising suspicions! I think we might just have to wait for them to make a move."

"I'm most worried about the children" Roshi admitted. "Naruto and Gaara should be fine behind the walls of their village, but Fuu's secret is public knowledge in Takigakure. I know she's going to be in hiding for the next few years for training, but I still worry."

"I know," Yagura said, face serious. "But I can't do anything right now. The only thing we can do is to travel together and look for intel and allies."

Han nodded reluctantly. "Hopefully three heads are better than one," he said with a sigh. He took another bite of his fish. They fell into silence as they ate, each lost in his own thoughts.

"We should infiltrate Sunagakure and kidnap Gaara," Roshi said. Han almost choked on a fishbone.

"We're fugitives from Iwa," Han replied, suppressing his coughing. "If we try that, we're putting not just our lives at risk, but also Gaara's. He's only a child."

"It's too risky," Yagura added reluctantly.

Roshi sighed. "I know," he admitted. "But it's a nice dream. Maybe we can do it when Onoki has kicked the bucket. He's already ancient. I doubt he has more than a year or two left in him."

_You're wrong Roshi. That man will outlast both of us._

"Why do we need to stay in hiding anyway?" Han asked.

"What do you mean why?" Yagura said. "I have to make sure people don't know I'm still alive."

Han shook his head. "Not you. Roshi and I. Onoki is no doubt already looking for us and tearing what remains of his hair out. He knows we have declared ourselves as missing-nin." He shared glances with Roshi. "We can offer ourselves as bait for the organization we're hunting down."

Yagura winced. "I don't know if I feel comfortable offering you two up," he admitted. "I don't want to put your lives at risk. Whoever brainwashed me for all those years was strong enough to take over and make me shit all over Kirigakure. I dread to think of what might happen to you."

"We won't be alone, though," Roshi said. "We will watch over each other. If we stick together, especially with the power of our collective bijuu, I'm sure it will all work out."

Yagura nodded reluctantly. "Are you sure about that?"

Roshi smirked. "Positive. Han and I can offer ourselves as bait. We will make ourselves infamous." The roar of the fire made shadows dance across his face. For a moment he looked as dangerous as the people of Iwagakure thought.

"Infamous, you say?" Han couldn't help but chuckle at the declaration.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara walked atop the desert dunes, Temari and Kankuro slightly behind him. Baki was at the end of their group, keeping an eye on his students.

After weeks of training, the Kazekage had seen fit to assign them their first mission as a group and Gaara's second mission. There had been more bandits attacking Sunagakure travelers, that time skulking near the border with the Land of Rivers. The Kazekage had ordered them to find and eliminate the threat.

Temari and Kankuro had been silent on their journey to the border, a fact Gaara appreciated. They hadn't talked to him ever since they set out from the Kazekage's office. With a mission on their shoulders and Baki keeping an eye on them, Kankuro said nothing while Temari fretted.

"We will have to stop and rest before we reach the border," Baki called out from behind them. "Only an hour of travel more."

"Thank you, Baki," Temari said, obviously exhausted and trying not to show it. Kankuro only grunted from her side.

With their agreement, Baki jumped to the front, leading them toward a hidden oasis in the desert. When they arrived, Temari and Kankuro collapsed, panting. Gaara only stretched his arms and legs. With the help of the sand, he could travel across the dunes without the same level of effort.

Gaara looked around the oasis in curiosity. It was small, with only a well as a source of water. Date palms grew abundantly, no doubt fed from underground. Gaara approached the well first. He took a sip of water, not letting a single drop fall to waste.

"Temari, Kankuro, Gaara-sama," Baki called them. Obediently, Temari and Kankuro stood in front of him. Gaara joined them, distancing himself from them.

"We will take sleeping shifts," Baki said, focusing his gaze on Temari and Kankuro. "It's highly unlikely that we will be attacked here, but it never hurts to be careful. Which of you two wish to take the first watch?" He turned his gaze to Gaara. "Gaara-sama, I assume you will provide an additional set of eyes and ears during the night?"

Gaara nodded. He had lived his entire life without sleeping. He could afford another night awake.

Temari and Kankuro broke into muttering as they decided on who would stay awake first. Finally, they raised their heads and looked up at Baki.

"Kankuro will take first watch and I'll take second," Temari said, voice full of authority. Gaara blinked. _She's never that bossy when she's talking to me._

Baki nodded in acknowledgment. With that agreement in place, they set up camp. Baki started a small fire, Temari collected water, and Kankuro prepared their dinner. Gaara stared at them as they worked, feeling strangely left out.

They ate together soon after, a basic meal prepared in advance for the mission. Gaara ate in silence, but his siblings were loud in comparison. They laughed as they teased each other about things he couldn't understand. Baki watched, his lips quirking up in amusement. Despite being surrounded by people he knew, Gaara felt incredibly alone.

Gaara looked up at the full moon._ Naruto and Fuu are probably in the Room right now._ After years of practice, he could stay there for almost an hour without fearing for Shukaku to come out. He vowed to join them as soon as possible before the mission continued.

With dinner finished, Temari curled up in her sleeping bag near the fire. Baki sat nearby, appearing to sleep. Kankuro glared at Gaara before turning his gaze to the fire with a frown. Gaara resisted the urge to roll his eyes._ Stop trying to make everything my fault._

With nothing else to do, Gaara sat cross-legged, leaning against a date palm. He breathed in and out, forcing his heart rate to slow and his breathing to relax. After years of experience with meditation, he calmed down in seconds. Almost immediately, he felt the familiar sensation pulling him into the Room.

When he opened his eyes, he had appeared in the center of the Room. As expected, Naruto and Fuu were already there. Yugito, Utakata, and B joined them, all five of them chatting about something. When they saw him, they waved enthusiastically at him.

"Hello everyone!" Gaara returned their greetings with a grin as he ran to join them.

"Gaara-chan! You're just in time!" Fuu said, eyes bright with excitement. "We were just talking about the best place to wear a hitai-ate! I told them that it felt very heavy on my forehead, so I was saying that I think I should wear it somewhere else."

"A hitai-ate is called a forehead protector for a reason," Yugito said. "I only wear mine on my forehead. It's to show your alliance to your village."

"It's the same for me, I completely agree. If it's not on the forehead, you'll get a sore head, oh yeah!" Killer B sang.

"I only wear my hitai-ate during official missions," Utakata confessed. "It's too much trouble to wear it all the time. Maybe I should just tie it around my neck or something."

"Oooh! Oooh! Fuu-chan! Put it around your belly! It'll be like a belt, ya know!" Naruto suggested with bright eyes.

Fuu giggled. "I guess it would be more of a belly protector, then?" she mused before she turned her eyes back to Gaara. "And what do you think Gaara-chan?"

Gaara opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could say anything, he felt his connection disintegrating as his mind returned to the physical world. He opened his eyes to look into the terrified face of Baki. Hiding behind him, Kankuro and Temari looked past their teacher's shoulders. They stared at Gaara with fear and muttered something about sleeping.

Gaara felt a rush of fury and hate enter his body. Predictably, the sand inside his gourd began to swish back and forth. He breathed out and his face reformed into the familiar mask.

"What?" he snapped, his annoyance coming out more easily than usual.

"You were falling asleep, Gaara-sama," Baki said. "I woke you up."

"I wasn't sleeping. I was meditating," Gaara answered, feeling his heart pounding faster in anger.

Kankuro snorted. "Your eyes were closed. You were definitely falling asleep."

Gaara opened his mouth to speak before realizing that arguing with his brother was useless. Defeated, he shook his head. _It's not like I can tell them about the Room or anything._

"Fine," Gaara said. "I'll stop meditating just for you."

Kankuro frowned at Gaara's tone but said nothing. Baki and Temari shared worried glances but remained silent.

"Are you all right, Gaara-sama?" Baki asked.

"I'm fine," Gaara answered, tone angrier than he intended.

Temari and Kankuro flinched. The worry in their eyes intensified. Temari bit her lip and shook her head before walking back to her sleeping bag. Kankuro glared one last time before taking his place back in front of the fire.

Baki stayed for longer, looking Gaara up and down, as if waiting for something. However, Gaara said nothing and Baki moved back to his post, throwing Gaara one last concerned glance.

Gaara exhaled, slow and deep, trying to get himself to calm down. He heard the voices in his head from the other jinchuuriki. In the background, Shukaku was trying to interrupt, more vicious than normal. It was giving him a headache.

'_Can't you just leave me alone?' _Gaara complained.

'_Hey! I'm just worried cause you left all a sudden, ya know!'_

Gaara flinched._ 'Sorry, Naruto, I was trying to talk to Shukaku.'_

'_Oh. That's fine then! Is everything okay?' _Naruto asked.

'_Everything is fine. My siblings and teacher were concerned I was falling asleep so they woke me up. They didn't believe me when I said I was meditating, so I guess I have to stay awake all night now.'_

He felt the other jinchuuriki cringing in sympathy.

'_In that case, we'll stay and talk to you. How does that sound?' _Yugito said.

'_I suppose.'_ Listening to the other jinchuuriki was better than nothing. However, joining the Room always made Shukaku only a whisper in the back of his mind. Without them, Shukaku's torture was excruciating.

'_Sure! So what do you think would be a good place to wrap my hitai-ate?' _Fuu asked, returning to their previous conversation effortlessly. The change of topic cheered him up more than any words of encouragement.

Gaara forced his face to remain neutral. If Kankuro panicked when he closed his eyes, he couldn't imagine his reaction if he were to smile randomly.

'_Maybe around the leg?' _Gaara suggested.

From there, they had a long conversation about hitai-ate, with frequent arguments and terrible raps from Killer B. Gaara struggled not to giggle. The others were terrified enough of him without adding random bursts of laughter.

Eventually, however, the others departed, leaving Gaara alone with Shukaku's voice for company. Without any time spent in the Room, the bijuu's voice was louder than usual and more insistent. The beginnings of his headache intensify into a migraine. He rubbed at his temples, but it didn't help. He stayed awake the rest of the night, trying to fight the voice of the beast.

Daybreak came as a relief. With a mission on the way, it was easier to ignore his pounding head. They ate breakfast while Baki reviewed their mission objective. Once satisfied that the three of them understood their responsibilities, they set off. They broke down camp and made their way to the border with the Land of Rivers.

Gaara felt more tired than usual as they left. His head pounded and he couldn't block out Shukaku at all. A few times, he winced and rubbed at his temples in pain. Temari and Kankuro looked at him, fearful of his mental condition, but they said nothing. Baki asked him if he was ready for the mission and Gaara nodded, lying.

"This way," Baki said. They followed behind him as Baki led them near the border. Gaara had to force himself not to stop and stare. He had never seen such large trees before in person._ I wonder if Fuu and Naruto get to see trees like this every day._

They traveled in silence for a few minutes until Baki motioned for them to stop. Gaara and his siblings froze, waiting for his orders. He motioned for Gaara to move closer. Obedient as usual, Gaara went to stand at Baki's side.

"Our targets are nearby," he whispered. "Can you capture them from here?"

Gaara nodded in agreement, too tired to talk. His migraine was getting worse. The only thing he wanted was to go home and join the Room, if only to block out Shukaku for a few minutes.

As silent as possible, he walked down the direction Baki had pointed to. He could sense his teacher following closely behind, sticking to the trees using chakra. While Gaara couldn't use chakra to climb trees yet, he used the sand to cushion his footsteps, passing through the underbrush in silence.

He found their targets a few minutes later, enjoying a late breakfast around a campfire. They didn't look like villains, only like regular people. However, he knew there would be consequences if he dared to disobey. Reluctantly, Gaara stepped closer to them as he waited for Baki's signal.

Baki surveyed the situation from his position high in the canopy. After a few minutes of checking, he nodded and signed a few words with his hand. _It's time. _

Gaara didn't hesitate. He knew exactly what he had to do. He called upon his chakra and the sand left his gourd to travel underground. The pressure inside his head intensified, but he forced himself to concentrate on the sand's movement. It was more difficult than normal and he felt beads of sweat dripping down his back and his forehead at the effort.

Despite the exertion, however, the sand did his bidding. It found its targets easily, sneaking up behind them. The bandits had only a second to shout in surprise before the sand collapsed on them, killing them in an instant.

Immediately, the migraine disappeared. His mind was clear for the first time in the day as Shukaku's voice faded. His thoughts seemed louder than normal. Relief combined with guilt coursed through his body.

Exhausted with the previous effort to keep Shukaku's voice under control, he collapsed panting on his knees. He felt a smile tug at his lips in relief and he giggled, despite himself. The lack of pain was liberating._ He's gone. He's quiet. Finally._ He almost wanted to cry in relief.

"G-Gaara-sama?" Baki stuttered before approaching him.

Gaara flinched. He had forgotten that he wasn't alone. "The mission is finished," he said. "They're dead."

"I... I see, Gaara-sama," Baki answered, talking to him with the same tone of voice Temari always used. It made him irrationally angry.

"Don't talk to me like that," he snapped. He heard the sand swishing furiously inside his gourd. Baki flinched back, face full of fear.

Gaara forced himself to breathe out, as slow as he could. The sand began to settle down until it was inert once more. He rubbed at his temples. Shukaku was silent, but an echo of the pain remained.

"Let's go back to Suna," Gaara said. He needed to meditate and talk to the other jinchuuriki. It was the only thing that might manage to calm him down.

Baki nodded reluctantly before leading Gaara back to where Temari and Kankuro were waiting in hiding. His brother and sister stared at Gaara like they had never seen him before. Gaara ignored them as best as he could.

He brushed past without looking at them as he took the lead in the direction back to Sunagakure. They followed behind him, farther away than before. Gaara tried to tell himself he shouldn't care what they thought of him. However, no matter how much he lied to himself, he couldn't make himself believe it.

He could at least enjoy Shukaku's silence for the journey back to Sunagakure.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Yagura was a great Mizukage because he has a sense of humor.**

**If you use Tumblr, you can talk to me at waffledogwrites (do people still use Tumblr?). Thanks so much to the r/fanfiction and r/narutofanfiction discord servers. Y'all are awesome, inspiring, and helpful!**

**Next chapter: Sasuke gets his first mission.**


	21. Summer Days

**In which Sasuke pouts, Naruto hears stories, and Utakata learns how to be a teacher.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Ever since they let out for summer break, Sasuke had been bored out of his mind.

During the summer, the children from clans usually trained and sparred with the other members of their family. Meanwhile, civilian children used their time away from school to relax at home and play games.

Sasuke, however, had nothing to do. His father and brother were too busy with their work to spend more than a few minutes with him. His mother, while she tried her best, had barely more free time to spend with him.

He tried to remember what he used to do before starting school, but his mind drew a blank. None of his toys looked interesting anymore and the only things that kept him entertained at all were books. He didn't want to admit it, but he missed Naruto.

"Mom, I'm bored," Sasuke whined to his mother.

She was pouring over some documents related to the clan finances. The numbers were long and the table made no sense to him. Apparently, they made little sense to his father too, which was why his mother took care of their money.

His mother looked up, peering at him over the table. "What do you want me to do, Sasuke?" she asked with a kind smile. "I'm a little busy right now. I can teach you a new technique after lunch."

"Lunch?" Sasuke asked, dismayed. It was only nine in the morning. He wasn't sure he could survive until then.

She sighed, shaking her head exasperatedly. "Why don't you go look for your friends?" she asked. "I'm sure they would appreciate your company."

"I don't know where any of them live," he admitted.

On the last day of school, a few of his classmates, mostly girls, had asked for his address. He had refused. He was not going to share that information with just anyone.

Later, during their afterschool training, he had considered asking for Naruto's contact information. However, at the end of their sparring, they had said goodbye like they always did: with insults and name-calling. Sasuke didn't want to admit it, but he regretted not sharing his address with Naruto.

"Why don't you go look for them?" his mother asked, writing something on the margins of the paper. "It's a long shot, but it's a part of being a ninja."

"Part of being a ninja?" he asked. "I don't get it."

"When you're a fully-fledged shinobi, you will have missions to find specific targets," she explained, her eyes focused on her work. "Think of this as your first mission: find your friends and play with them."

"A mission?" Sasuke felt excitement coursing throughout his body. _My first mission!_

His mother nodded, giving him a gentle smile. "As long as you're back before noon," she added. "I don't want to have to go on my own mission, especially if I'm not paid for it. You can bring your friends back here for lunch if you want."

Sasuke nodded enthusiastically. He had no idea where Naruto lived, but he was sure that he could figure it out. "Okay, Mom," he said. "I'll be back soon."

"You best," she said, waving him away. She wrote something else on the margin.

Sasuke didn't wait as he ran out of the Uchiha compound and headed to the main village center.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto missed the Academy. Without the distraction of school, his days were long and boring. He spent most of the day inside, watering plants and reading books. He tried training by himself, but alone, it wasn't fun.

On the last day, he had asked Hinata for her address and he had shared his. However, the information was useless. She would spend the entire summer holiday training with her clan and Naruto couldn't join in.

He had smiled and nodded, pretending it was fine, but he missed her company. He hoped her summer training would make the separation worth it when she came back, stronger than before.

He missed Sasuke too, although he almost didn't want to admit it. There were only so many times he could hit a wooden post before he hoped for it to hit back. He wished he had asked Sasuke for his contact information before they parted ways on the last day of school. However, he had forgotten and by the time he remembered, it had been too late.

Bored indoors, he decided to go outside and wander the streets and forests of Konoha. Part of himself hoped to run into Sasuke, or even Shikamaru or Chouji.

With that hope in mind, he wandered through the village, trying to ignore all the dirty looks people threw at him. He had thought about retaliating, but the other jinchuuriki had told him that it was pointless. Utakata was especially firm about the idea that ignoring them would be the best course of action.

"There is no way for you to win, Naruto," Utakata had said, looking abnormally serious. "If you try to take revenge, they will only see you as a troublemaker. And if you try to be nice, they will step on your kindness and break it. The best thing to do is pretend it doesn't hurt."

With Utakata's words in mind, Naruto searched for his friends and classmates. He pretended he couldn't see the dirty looks or hear the ugly things they said about him.

It was when he was near the village center, close to the Hokage's office and the Academy, that he saw Sasuke. The other boy was wandering through the main street, looking around. _What the heck is he doing?_

"Sasuke!" he yelled, running toward him.

Sasuke turned around. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Naruto before turning into a neutral expression.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he approached the other boy.

"What do you want, loser?" Sasuke asked with a smirk, placing his hands inside his pockets.

Naruto shook a fist. "Just saying hello, ya know! Don't need to be so rude!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Well, hello. Is that all you wanted?"

Naruto sighed. _Well, I tried._ "Geez, I'm just trying to be polite."

Sasuke looked away before answering. "I know. Sorry."

Naruto shifted his feet. It was the first time Sasuke had ever apologized without someone bigger making him. It was a strange experience.

"What have you been doing during the summer holiday?" Naruto asked, trying to change the topic. _Sasuke is being weird._

"Not much," Sasuke answered. "Some training. Shuriken and kunai practice. Normal stuff."

"Sparring?" Naruto's eyes lit up.

Sasuke shifted his feet. "Not really," he admitted. "My family is too busy. And they always go easy on me, anyway."

Naruto felt his heart beat faster with excitement and he moved closer. Sasuke took a step back but didn't run away.

"Do you want to spar?" Naruto asked, his enthusiasm making him shake. "I have time right now, ya know!"

Sasuke swallowed, a frown on his face. "My mother told me to come back before noon," he said.

"Oh." Naruto sighed, defeated. _Just when I thought we could hang out for a bit._

"But... she said I could invite anyone if I met them while I was in the village," Sasuke continued.

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, a grin on his face. "Wait, really? I can go?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, she already said it's fine. We have better training facilities in the Uchiha compound anyway. Better than the school one at least."

"Great!" Naruto said, beaming at Sasuke. "Which way?"

"That way." Sasuke began walking down a street in the direction to the outskirts of the village. Naruto followed eagerly at his side.

"So you have good training areas where you live?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke hummed in assent. "Our property is big and our clan compound is on the outskirts of the village, so there are a lot of places to practice. The grounds in front of my house have a large garden with training posts too."

"That's cool!" Naruto said. "I tried going to the training grounds, but there are a lot more people who use them during the holiday, ya know."

"Yeah, that's one of the good things about living in a clan compound," Sasuke admitted.

"You're lucky!" Naruto chuckled. "My apartment is too small to throw shuriken around."

Sasuke's lips quirked up in amusement.

For the rest of the way to the Uchiha clan compound, they talked about whatever came to mind. It was the first time Naruto had spent talking to Sasuke without weapons in the middle. After a few days of talking only to Teuchi and the other jinchuuriki, it was a breath of fresh air. He found their conversation was flowing as easily as it did when he was with Gaara, Fuu, and Hinata.

"We're here," Sasuke finally said.

Naruto looked up at the entrance in awe. The gate was large and ornate, one of the most intimidating things he had ever seen. From behind the gate, buildings were organized neatly alongside the main street. _I knew clans lived in big places, but I didn't know it was like this._

Naruto swallowed nervously. He had never been anywhere nearly as ostentatious.

"A-are you sure it's okay if I go in?" Naruto asked, shifting his feet before he walked any closer.

Sasuke frowned and glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's just..." Naruto gulped. "Won't anyone, ya know, kick me out or something?"

"Kick you out?" Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would anyone kick you out?"

_Because I'm the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi and almost everyone in the village hates me. _However, Naruto couldn't say anything like that so he shrugged instead.

Sasuke snorted. "They won't say or do anything," he insisted. "You're with me."

"If you say so..." Naruto said. He took a step inside. He almost expected someone to swoop in and force him out, but nothing happened. He looked around, but no one appeared and the entrance remained.

"Are you sure-?" Naruto began to ask before Sasuke interrupted.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Sasuke snapped. "Stick close to me and no one will say anything. Not to your face at least."

Without waiting for Naruto, he started walking down the street, fast enough that he was almost running. Naruto huffed before following him. As expected, a few people turn to stared and whispered once they arrived at the populated parts of the compound. However, to Naruto's surprise, the people they passed seem more curious than anything.

Unlike their amiable journey from the village, Naruto walked behind Sasuke in silence. He stared around him, waiting for the moment when someone would drag him out, but that moment never came. _What's with this clan?_

"I'm home!" Sasuke called out once they reached a large manor tucked behind a row of trees.

Sasuke took his shoes off at the entrance before stepping inside. Naruto followed his lead, feeling completely out of place. _This is the first time anyone's invited me to their home._

"Mom?" Sasuke called out as he walked down the hallway. Naruto followed behind him.

"In here!" a feminine voice called out. Sasuke headed toward the source of the voice, Naruto at his heels. They stepped into a very large, clean, and spacious kitchen. _Mama would be jealous._

"Mom! I'm home!" Sasuke said again.

"Welcome home, Sasuke," she said, her back to them as she washed dishes. "Did you find any friends?"

For some reason Naruto couldn't understand, Sasuke's face turned a slight shade of pink.

"I brought someone with me," he said without answering her question.

"Someone? Who is it?"

"Naruto," he said.

At once, Sasuke's mother dropped the dishes and she spun around to look at Sasuke and Naruto. Her jaw dropped as she looked Naruto up and down. Naruto tried and failed not to fidget in place.

"O-oh, you brought Naruto-kun," she said. Naruto's heart beat faster inside his chest. _Is she going to kick me out now?_

"Yeah, I found him in the village center," Sasuke said, a small frown on his face. "He wanted to train, so I brought him over."

"Well, isn't that nice?" Sasuke's mother said, drying her hands on her apron. "I was just a little surprised that you brought Naruto. Considering how you're always talking about how you two are not friends."

"We're not friends!" Naruto and Sasuke insisted at the same time. They glared at each other.

Sasuke's mother laughed. "Well, if that's the case, what's the relationship between you two?" she asked. "If you're not friends, I suppose you're...?"

"Rivals!" They answered together. Once again, they glared at each other.

Sasuke's mother laughed again, harder than before. She shook her head with a smile. "Well, lunch won't be ready until later, Sasuke," she said. "You and Naruto-kun can play outside while I finish cleaning up and get the food ready. How does that sound?"

"We're not playing!" Sasuke said, sounding scandalized. "We're training."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Oh, sorry, of course, training," she corrected herself. "Well, have fun in any case. I'll call you when lunch is ready."

With that, she turned back to the sink and continued to wash all the dirty dishes. Sasuke stared at Naruto, a smirk on his face.

"Are you ready to lose?" he asked.

Naruto snorted. "As if!" he answered. "I'll have you crying before lunch, ya know!"

Sasuke glowered before running out, Naruto following like a shadow. He heard a small snort from Sasuke's mother as they left the kitchen.

They ran back to the entrance and put on their shoes before running to a training area.

It was smaller than the one that they use at the Academy, but much better maintained. The posts and targets had fresh coats of paint and lacquer. The ground was even and compacted. The shade from the nearby trees kept the brunt of the sun off their backs.

"This is a nice training area," Naruto said in admiration.

Sasuke stared at him with a frown before nodding once he saw that Naruto was being honest. "My mother makes sure everything is in working order," he bragged.

"Good!" Naruto smirked before leaping forward to hit Sasuke in the jaw.

Sasuke saw the dirty attack coming, however, and Naruto only chanced a glancing blow on his chin. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise and their first spar began.

After days of being bored out of his mind at home, fighting with Sasuke was, in one word, amazing. His heart pounded in his chest while he felt the sweat pouring down his back and forehead. Sasuke was not doing much better, his hair starting to stick to the back of his neck.

To Naruto's eternal joy, he won the first match, catching Sasuke with a kick to the ribs before taking him down. Sasuke glared at him while he gloated, his knees keeping Sasuke's arms pinned down.

"Are you going to cry?" he asked, teasing but not mocking. Sasuke only frowned until Naruto let him go.

"You got lucky," Sasuke muttered.

They both took a moment to get their breathing back in order. When they did, their fights began again. They only stopped when the sun hit its peak.

"I won, ya know!" Naruto said, shaking a fist in Sasuke's direction. They were panting, trying to wipe the sweat from their faces as well as they could.

Sasuke scowled. "No, you didn't. I won eight times and you only won three times."

Naruto knew he was lying. He might have lost count, but he had definitely won more than three times.

"Liar!" he shouted, grabbing onto Sasuke by the collar. They wrestled, falling to the ground in an undignified heap. He tried to get Sasuke to give up and admit to lying when he heard a soft voice clearing her throat. Immediately, both Sasuke and Naruto let go, standing up and staring guiltily up at the source of the voice.

"Boys, it's time for lunch," Sasuke's mother said. To Naruto's relief, she looked more amused than concerned about them wrestling on the ground. He felt something strange fluttering inside his stomach. _I wonder why she's so nice to me._

"Oh, okay," Naruto said, shaking as much dirt as he could off of himself. "Well, see you later then, Sasuke."

"See you-" Sasuke started to answer automatically before turning to him, eyes open in shock. "Wait, are you leaving now?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's lunchtime now, right?" Naruto started walking away to exit through the garden.

"Nothing!" Sasuke said. "It's just that... I thought..." He looked away, frowning for a reason Naruto couldn't begin to understand.

"Thought what?" Naruto shoved an elbow into Sasuke's ribs. Sasuke flinched but only stared back in sullen silence.

"Oh, Naruto-kun," Sasuke's mother said with a smile. "You're invited, too. Sasuke is just too shy to say anything."

"Mom!" Sasuke yelled, face flushed with a hint of pink.

Naruto wanted to snicker at the sight, but her words sent a wave of shock coursing through his body. He shifted uneasily and looked down at his feet. _She's inviting me? Why? I thought everyone in the village hated me?_

Sasuke's mother must have been able to sense his thoughts because she placed a hand on his head. He looked up at her shyly.

"Of course you're invited, Naruto-kun," she said. "I already set a meal out for you."

Naruto nodded, not sure how to react or what to say. He had thought no one would ever invite him to a meal in their home, let alone so kindly.

"Oh... uh... thank you," he muttered, too unsure of himself to meet her eyes. However, he knew that if Roshi or Yugito ever learned he wasn't thankful, he would be stuck learning how to play the shamisen until he died of old age.

They walked back to the house together. He didn't look at Sasuke as he took off his shoes once again and stepped back inside. When they arrived at the kitchen, Naruto almost expected the table to be empty as a cruel prank, but sure enough, three bowls were set out for them. Sasuke and his mother immediately sat down at the table, leaving an empty spot for Naruto.

Naruto joined them, wondering if they would rescind the offer of food at any moment. He looked at his meal: a simple bowl of rice with chicken and a few radish pickles on the side. He gulped before he looked up at Sasuke.

Sasuke was looking at him curiously, taking in his reaction to the entire situation. Naruto saw a hint of pity that only served to annoy him. He stuck his tongue out. Offended, Sasuke huffed and turned away. Naruto sighed in relief. _Well, at least one thing is back to normal._

"I made some oyakodon, Naruto," Sasuke's mother said. "I hope you like it."

"Oh, thank you very much," Naruto replied, still feeling lost. "It... looks really good."

Sasuke's mother smiled before clapping her hands together. Naruto and Sasuke followed her lead.

"Thank you for the meal," Naruto said before he took a bite of the food.

His eyes widened at the taste. It was one of the most amazing things he had ever eaten, close to rivaling Ichiraku ramen. The flavors were perfectly balanced and the portions were just right. He took a new, bigger, bite.

"Do you like it?" she asked kindly.

Naruto had too much food in his mouth to respond with anything but a smile and a nod. He forced himself to swallow.

"It's really good," he said, grinning. "Sasuke is real lucky, ya know!"

She chuckled at the praise. "Well, you're right about at least one thing," she said with a teasing voice as she leaned over to ruffle Sasuke's hair.

"Mom!" Sasuke whined.

Naruto wanted to laugh, but as Roshi had told him many times, it was rude to talk with his mouth full. He shot Sasuke a teasing smirk instead. The table fell quiet as they ate, although it was a comfortable type of silence.

"How did you learn to cook, Uchiha-san?" Naruto asked eventually. He'd been following Roshi's instructions and he had yet to cook anything that was anywhere near as good.

"I honestly just learned from my mother," she said. "I followed her around and watched her."

Naruto nodded. "Have you tried teaching anyone?" he asked before he took another bite.

She seemed to mull over the question until she nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. "I had a subordinate once," she said. "She wanted to impress the boy she liked and asked me to teach her how to cook."

"Did she learn?"

She chuckled, her eyes shining at the memory. "She was never a great cook," she admitted. "She wasn't terrible, by any means. She just had a tendency to make little mistakes that made things taste off."

"Like what?" To Naruto's surprise, it was Sasuke who asked the question. Naruto wondered if it was the first time he'd heard the story, too.

"Things like adding a little too much salt or not enough," she said. "Or slightly overcooking the vegetables. It was not enough to make it inedible, just make it taste a little off."

"What happened with the boy she liked?" Naruto asked. "Did she impress him with her cooking?"

A hundred different emotions flitted across her face as she looked into Naruto's eyes. However, her face settled into amusement and she smiled at Naruto as she shook her head.

"Not exactly," she admitted. "She did get a little better, but never to a level beyond 'decent.'"

"So she didn't impress him?" Naruto asked. Perhaps he had been spending too much time with Yugito because he felt saddened about the idea of missing out on love.

"I wouldn't say that," Sasuke's mother said with a laugh. "It turns out it didn't matter how good or bad my friend was at cooking. She could have served that boy a lump of coal on a platter and he would have said it was the best thing he had ever tasted."

Naruto's eyes brightened and even Sasuke looked mildly amused by the story. "So they got together?" he asked, excited about a story of love.

Sasuke's mother nodded her head, covering her mouth slightly to hide her laugh. "They spent nearly every waking moment together after that," she said.

Naruto grinned at the end of the story before he continued his meal. When he finished, he thanked Sasuke and his mother profusely for inviting him to lunch. His mother offered the bathroom to let him clean up. Naruto shook his head, refusing the offer as politely as he could.

He already felt like he had intruded a lot. Besides, he didn't have any clean clothes to change into and borrowing Sasuke's clothes was just weird.

Naruto said goodbye, but not before promising to visit again the next day. The look on her face when he bowed his head in gratitude stayed with him for the rest of the day.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke took a bath soon after Naruto left. He soaked for a long time, feeling the hot water work on his sore muscles. He sighed in contentment._ I missed Naruto._

When he got out, he changed into fresh clothes and combed his hair. Now clean, he looked around his room. His toys and books didn't appeal to him and he didn't want to get dirty again after a bath. His father and Itachi would not be back for hours more. To his dismay, once Naruto had left, the boredom had come back, stronger than before.

He sighed to himself in disappointment and annoyance. _I guess I'll go talk to Mom._

He left his room, hair still damp, and headed toward the garden where his mother liked to wander. He found her quickly, her back turned to him as she sat on a bench.

"Mom?" he asked as he walked over to her side.

His mother flinched, keeping her face turned away from him. Sasuke frowned. _Mom is acting weird._

"Mom?" he asked again, walking closer and taking her arm like he used to when he was younger.

She finally turned her face to look down at him. Sasuke startled in shock. His mother was crying, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked at the garden. She smiled wanly when she saw that Sasuke had noticed.

"Oh, Sasuke, sorry you had to see me like this." She wiped her eyes with her hands.

"Mom? What's wrong?" he asked, having no idea what to do. He had never seen her cry before. _What are you supposed to do when your Mom is crying, anyway?_

She hummed, smiling as tears roll down her face and onto the grass. "Nothing is wrong," she answered. "It's just... I remembered something sad."

"Something sad?" Sasuke joined her, sitting at her side.

She pondered the question for a few seconds before answering. "Naruto-kun reminded me of a friend I used to have," she said. "She was very stubborn and excitable, but her heart was pure. Naruto-kun is like that."

"Pure heart?" Sasuke frowned. He wasn't sure if someone who had shoved Sasuke's face into the dirt could be considered "pure" in any way.

His mother chuckled, placing her hands onto her lap neatly. "She died a few years ago, soon after you were born," she continued. "I hadn't really thought about her in a while, so remembering her made me sad."

"Oh," Sasuke answered, fidgeting at the revelation. "Was your friend... the one you were talking about? The one who was not a very good cook?"

His mother hummed in affirmation. Sasuke's frown deepened. They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the birds and insects flying through the garden. Sasuke scooted closer to her until their sides were touching. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and he leaned in for a hug.

"Sasuke," his mother began. He looked up to meet her eyes, dark and serious. "There's something that I want you to do."

"What is it?" Sasuke fidgeted, wondering what she wanted.

"I want you to make friends," she said. "Real friends."

"Friends?"

She nodded. "Sometimes... you lose friends, for whatever reason. Sometimes, they're not lost but they go far away. But... no matter what, I want you to have people you love and trust by your side."

_Love?_ Sasuke wanted to protest, to insist that he didn't need anyone, but when he saw the conviction in her eyes, he nodded.

She grinned at him then, wide and melancholy. "Please, Sasuke," she said. "Sometimes our friends and even the memories of our friends will bring pain, but that's no reason not to have any. I don't want you to be alone."

"I-I promise, Mom," Sasuke said, not sure exactly what he was promising. He considered Naruto a nominal friend, even if he would never say it out loud._ Is that enough?_

Despite his words and her smile, an aura of sadness surrounded her. Before he had a moment to reconsider or doubt himself, he crawled into her lap. She startled in surprise at the contact, but she didn't push back. Instead, she opened her arms wide and Sasuke burrowed closer to be held.

He hadn't needed his mother to hold him in her lap for years now and he would have never done it in front of his brother or father. However, he knew that his mother liked it. A part of Sasuke liked the close contact too, although he would never admit it out loud to anyone. He suspected that his mother knew, anyway.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fugaku took off his heavy armor with a relieved sigh. Hours of patrol were never kind on his increasingly weathered back. Being at home with his wife and children were all he needed after hours of work.

"How was your day?" Mikoto asked, dutiful as always as she helped him put the armor away.

Fugaku grunted. "Same old, same old," he answered. "The Hokage and his advisors are getting on my last nerve, but what else is new?" The last statement came out more poisonous than he had expected.

Mikoto sighed in sympathy, massaging between his shoulder blades. "What about you? How are the boys?" he asked. "Is Sasuke still complaining about having nothing to do?"

Mikoto hummed in contemplation before answering. "Sasuke saw me crying today," she confessed.

Fugaku spun around to look at his wife. "Sasuke? Crying? You... But, why?" he asked. His wife had never been the type to cry, especially anywhere where someone might see.

Mikoto ground her teeth, looking past him to stare at the wall. He waited for her to speak, watching as she gathered her thoughts.

"Naruto Uzumaki should have two parents," she finally said. Her eyes were cold and full of fury, just how he remembered from their days of active service.

"I know," Fugaku answered. "If... Minato-san..." he hadn't said his co-worker's name out loud in years and the name felt heavy on his tongue, "if... the fourth Hokage were still with us, everything would be better."

"Minato was only a co-worker to you," Mikoto said, voice bitter and angry. "Kushina was like a sister to me."

"A co-worker I liked," Fugaku said in his defense. The Fourth Hokage had been friendlier with the Uchiha clan than his predecessors. He had trained Fugaku's nephew with his own two hands and they had grieved together upon his death. _I liked Minato-san. Kushina-san too, if only because she brought you so much joy._

"When they died, we should have taken Naruto in," Mikoto said.

Fugaku frowned. "You know we couldn't," he said. "The Hokage forbid it."

"We should have fought harder," Mikoto insisted, bitterness seeping into her voice.

"They already suspected us of having something to do with the Kyuubi attack," Fugaku said, hating the truth in his own words. "Taking in the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox would have only brought more suspicion to our clan."

"I know. I remember." Her eyes stared at the wall, full of malice. Fugaku flinched.

No one except for the late Fourth Hokage knew the full details of the attack. All anyone knew was that on the day Mikoto talked to Kushina for the last time, the Nine-Tailed Fox had attacked. As the last known person to see Kushina alive, Mikoto had been subjected to a full day of interrogation.

Fugaku grabbed her hand, trying to offer as much comfort as he could.

"What can we do about it?" Fugaku asked, knowing how bitter his voice sounded. "The Hokage expressly forbid us- forbid you from interacting with the boy."

"Fugaku, we've been married nearly twelve years," she said, her voice sounding determined despite her anger. "Do you think the Hokage's orders will stop me now that I have a chance to do something?"

**O-O-O-O-O**

"In short, everything is going well," Utakata said to the Mizukage, wishing he was sleeping at home instead of giving a progress report. "Kimimaro already has great endurance and taijutsu abilities. He only needs refinement with ninjutsu and genjutsu. His reading and writing abilities are also coming along."

Mei nodded, a kind smile on her lips. Behind her stood Ao, Ameryuri, and Zabuza, ever vigilant.

"So you are progressing quickly?" she asked, looking Kimimaro in the eye.

Kimimaro returned her gaze silently before looking up at Utakata for confirmation. Utakata raised an eyebrow. _Of course you're doing well, Kimimaro._

"He's very smart," Utakata continued without looking away from his student. "He can already read katakana and hiragana and his progress learning kanji is also very fast."

"I can read twenty different kanji now," Kimimaro muttered, staring down at his feet shyly. It was the most childish thing he had heard the boy say so far.

"Oh! That's great, Kimimaro!" Mei said. The boy seemed to stand a little straighter. She turned her gaze up to Utakata.

"How much longer until you would consider him suitable for full active duty?" she asked.

Utakata shrugged. "Maybe two or three months?" he guessed. "Half a year more at the most."

Mei nodded again, looking relieved about something. "That's a good time frame for what I have in mind," she muttered.

"What do you have in mind, Mizukage-sama?" Utakata asked, feeling a strong sense of foreboding in his stomach.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I just want to make sure that Kimimaro will be ready to join our active forces soon."

Utakata forced his face to remain neutral. _This better have nothing to do with me._

"Will that be all, Mizukage-sama?" he asked. The faster they could finish the meeting the faster he could get back to his nap.

"Yes, that will be all," she said. "You are both dismissed."

Utakata and Kimimaro bowed their heads and departed from the office. Utakata left first, Kimimaro following closely behind at his heels. They walked in silence down the hall and toward the exit of the administration building.

"Kimimaro-kun?" a soft voice called out from behind them. Kimimaro froze in place.

A child walked toward them, long hair hanging loose down their back. They were wearing a pink yukata, the sleeves cut off. The child was smiling at Kimimaro, waving their hand back and forth as they approached him. Utakata couldn't tell if they were a girl or a boy.

"H-Haku-kun," Kimimaro greeted with a stutter, refusing to meet the other child's eyes. Utakata stared at his student with a frown. _This is weird. Kimimaro is never so nervous about anything._

The second child, Haku, either didn't notice or didn't care about Kimimaro's behavior, because they stopped in front of him. They beamed at his student.

"I'm glad I got to see you, Kimimaro-kun," Haku said. "Zabuza-san told me you were coming over for a progress report."

"Y-yes," Kimimaro said, still avoiding the other child's gaze. "I'm here with my master, Utakata-sensei."

Haku looked up curiously at Utakata. Utakata quirked his lips up politely.

"It's very nice to meet you, Utakata-sensei," Haku said, bowing their head down.

"Likewise," Utakata said, returning the gesture with a nod of his head.

Haku smiled at him before looking back at Kimimaro, who seemed more nervous by the second. Utakata stared at his student in surprise. After one month of training Kimimaro, he had never seen him so emotional before.

"I haven't seen you since you got out of the hospital, Kimimaro-kun," Haku continued. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Kimimaro said, stepping slightly closer toward Utakata. Utakata was tempted to put a hand on the boy's shoulder to offer a sense of comfort.

"That's great!" Haku answered with a grin. "Do you think we could hang out for a bit? I haven't heard from you in a long time. I wanted to talk."

"I can't," Kimimaro answered. "Utakata-sensei and I are going back to training right now, aren't we?" He looked up at Utakata, beseeching him to agree with the lie

Utakata stared at his student. They had already completed their training and their only task for the rest of the day was to relax.

"Yes, we have some training to do," Utakata lied at once. _Why is he lying? He must have a reason. Maybe this child is scarier than they look._

Haku's face fell and they flashed Kimimaro a defeated smile. "Well... if your sensei said... I'll see you later Kimimaro-kun."

"See you," Kimimaro said, already starting to walk away. Utakata followed along, curious about his attitude.

Once they left the administration building, Utakata led them down an empty alleyway. He turned on his student, staring down at him. His behavior with the other child was unexpected of him. He had almost seemed... afraid.

"Who was that?" Utakata asked.

"He's... Haku," Kimimaro answered, looking away from him. _Strange, he always meets my eyes._

"Who's Haku?" Utakata asked. The name sounded familiar but he couldn't place it.

"He's..." Kimimaro swallows, still looking away. "He's the boy who captured me during the attack of my... of the Kaguya clan."

"Oh," Utakata grunted, crossing his arms inside his yukata.

With Kimimaro's statement, he remembered where he first heard that name. Zabuza had talked about a boy he was mentoring capturing Kimimaro. He remembered Ameyuri calling him a sweet boy._ So Haku is a boy, and he studies with Zabuza-san. I guess that's a few questions answered._

"So you hate him because he captured you? If you want, you can go and punch him. I won't tell anyone."

Kimimaro shook his head, mortified. To Utakata's shock, his face was slightly pink in embarrassment. With his white hair, the slight flush of color stood out more. It was the first time he had seen embarrassment on the boy's face._ He keeps surprising me._

"I don't... hate him," Kimimaro said. He started to fidget, his hands wrapping over each other nervously. "It's just... he's really nice."

"Nice?" Utakata raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that more reason to talk to him?"

Kimimaro's face got pinker and his hands fidgeted faster. "He said we have the same eyes," he said, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

"Same eyes?" Utakata had no idea what he was talking about.

Kimimaro nodded, embarrassed.

Utakata sighed, squatting down so he could meet his student's face. Kimimaro startled at the sudden approach.

"Do you like him?" Utakata asked, forcing Kimimaro to meet his eyes.

Kimimaro nodded, almost imperceptibly. "He used to bring me flowers and talk while I was in the hospital," he whispered. "I didn't really talk back to him. He told me we should stay in contact once I got out."

"But you didn't," Utakata said bluntly. He only needed to see the red sweeping across Kimimaro's face to know that he was exactly right.

He sighed again, shaking his head. Compared to dismantling the trauma of growing up a slave in the Kaguya compound, Kimimaro's current concerns were nothing. _So he feels guilty for not talking to his friend for a month._

"Why didn't you want to talk to Haku now?" he asked.

"Because..." Kimimaro shifted his feet, looking down. "I thought he would be mad because I haven't talked to him in a month. I thought he talked to me only to be nice."

Utakata snorted and Kimimaro looked up. "Kimimaro, if he wanted to avoid talking to you, he wouldn't have been in the administration building."

Kimimaro frowned. "W-what do you mean, sensei?" he asked.

"He didn't bump into you," he explained, as if to a very young child. In some ways, Kimimaro was. "He looked for you just to talk. He probably wanted to spend time with you."

"Oh," Kimimaro answered, his eyes looking brighter as the realization set in. "So he wasn't mad that I didn't try to talk to him for a month?"

"Well... uh... I mean, he might have been a little mad," Utakata admitted. "But he seemed very happy when he saw you."

"Oh." Kimimaro looked down again. He stared thoughtfully at his toes in silence. Utakata swallowed. The boy had been deprived of his childhood more than anyone he had ever met, which was saying something considering the people he talked to in his head.

"Why don't you invite him over one day?" Utakata asked, standing up.

"Huh?" Kimimaro's eyes widened in shock at the suggestion.

"Invite him over to Harusame's estate," Utakata suggested. "You two can spend time together. Maybe you can make some friends."

"But... what about training?" Kimimaro asked.

"Kimimaro..." he placed a hand on his student's shoulder. "I rarely wake up before noon and I hate training after three in the afternoon. You are already so talented that I don't need to teach you how to do anything, anyway. I'm sure you can find some time to hang out with Haku in the meantime."

"I- really, sensei?" Kimimaro asked.

Utakata grunted and nodded. "Go find this Haku kid and invite him over," he ordered, trying to summon the tone of voice Harusame used when lecturing. It seemed to be only partially successful because Kimimaro's eyebrows contracted into a frown.

"But... don't I need to focus on training?" Kimimaro asked.

Utakata rolled his eyes with a snort. "You're focused enough as it is," he said. "Our training times are between noon and three in the afternoon. How you spend your time outside of our training sessions is none of my concern."

Kimimaro nodded, eyes looking fit to burst as Utakata's words finally began to set in. The boy grinned, the first time Utakata had seen him do so. It was sincere and wide and full of hope. It made Utakata's heart contract at the sight.

"Well, if you're sure, sensei," Kimimaro said.

"I'm sure," Utakata said, throat feeling strangely tight. "Now go find Haku and tell him to visit us. If not, I might change my mind and train you from dawn to dusk instead."

It was an empty threat. Kimimaro seemed to know it because his grin widened and he ran off back to the administration building, looking like the child he was. Utakata watched him go before he let out a deep breath and stared up at the sky. He counted from one to ten, keeping track of this breathing as he did so. _Why did the Mizukage have to choose me for this task?_

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: You may take away my "Kushina wasn't a good cook, Minato was just a lovestruck fool" headcanon from my cold dead hands. Also, I've been waiting to write the Mikoto and Naruto scene since chapter 1 **_**and I finally got the chance**_**.**

**You can talk to me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: dinner at the Uchiha's.**


	22. Training Trouble

**In which Fuu trains, Roshi makes demands, and Naruto meets more Uchiha.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu was getting used to living away from the village.

Before leaving Takigakure, she had met two new people who would join in her isolation. Her new companions had been nervous at first, introducing themselves formally with bows of their heads. Fuu had greeted them respectfully if a bit warily.

The first of her new companions was a curly brown-haired boy that looked to be Utakata's age. His name was Kegon and he was very quiet. The other was a boy with short spiky black hair named Yoro. He was even quieter than Kegon if that was even possible. After introducing themselves and waiting for Takumi, they had departed. The four of them had traveled through the forests to arrive at a compound a few hours away.

Kegon and Yoro were her training partners. They had been recently promoted to jounin when Shibuki had given them the task to protect Fuu. In their own words, they were chosen because they had no other life or obligations.

Upon arriving at the compound, they had been afraid of talking to Fuu. However, their attitudes had changed after weeks of training together. Now, they greeted Fuu like a younger sister instead of as a potential attacker.

A few weeks later, an older kunoichi with dark brown hair streaked with gray named Mariko had joined them. Unlike Kegon and Yoro, her face was impassive and unimpressed when she met Fuu. Takumi had introduced her as Fuu's kunoichi arts instructor. She was just as strict and demanding as Fuu had feared. Despite her attitude, however, she was never cruel and Fuu enjoyed her lessons in deception and infiltration.

"A kunoichi's best weapon is her face," Mariko said during one of her lectures. "There are many situations in which a smile or a tear is all you need to complete your mission. Never underestimate that power."

"I won't," Fuu promised. Mariko nodded, satisfied with her answer.

While she trained with Kegon, Yoro, and Mariko daily, Takumi was still her favorite. Her teacher took care of her, preparing her food and organizing her schedule. While she liked her new teachers, Takumi would always hold a special place in her heart.

The best lessons, however, were the ones with Chomei.

Her bijuu had started to show her ways in which to combine their power. Yugito, Yagura, and B had helped, telling her about ways to mix her chakra with that of her tailed beast. Despite both of them trying to make it work, however, it was difficult to control Chomei's power.

'_**Start by learning how to fight using the Initial Jinchuuriki Form, Fuu,' **_Chomei said.

'_I'm trying!' _Fuu replied, concentrating as much as she could on Chomei's chakra. She knew the Initial Jinchuuriki transformation was only a tiny fraction of their complete power. Nevertheless, it still felt like trying to contain an ocean in a kitchen sink. She dreaded to think what she could do with the power of all seven tails.

Fuu gritted her teeth and moved her fingers into a ram hand seal. She tried a transformation. It was the first jutsu they learned at the Academy and one of the easiest. She called upon the now familiar chakra and transformed.

When she opened her eyes, she didn't need to check a mirror to know that she hadn't transformed into Takumi. Instead of looking down at the ground, her point of view was lower than before. She bit her fist to suppress her scream of frustration.

"Well, that was a little better than the last time, Fuu," Takumi said from a short distance away. "You actually got two eyes this time."

"I know, but it's not much better!" she whined. She had been trying to do a henge while in the Initial Jinchuuriki form for the last few days and failing.

The first transformation produced a chakra shroud that surrounded her body. While Chomei could give her as much chakra as she desired, maintaining precise control was impossible. She found herself unable to perform the most basic jutsu and breaking things with the simplest taijutsu.

Frustrated, she let go of the chakra. Her transformation gone, she collapsed on the grass and stared up at the sky. Takumi sighed and walked to her side. He sat next to her, but she refused to look at him. She turned her back to him._ I'm just letting him down._

"You've been progressing really fast, Fuu," Takumi said. "You're only ten, but you already have so much potential."

"That's not good enough," she muttered.

She couldn't go back to Takigakure until she got stronger. She also couldn't help Han, Roshi, and Yagura on their mission. Until she gained complete control with Chomei, she would be trapped and unable to help anyone.

Takumi said nothing. Instead, he collapsed on the grass next to her. They lay in silence. Even Chomei was quiet, letting her stew in her misery. Fuu knew she should try again, but failure was her only option.

"Fuu," Takumi eventually interrupted. "You need to try again."

"What's the point? I'll just mess it up," Fuu whined. To her annoyance, she felt tears beginning to form. She wiped her eyes angrily with a forearm.

Takumi hummed thoughtfully. He sat up and brushed her bangs away from her forehead. He smiled down at her, but she only pouted in return.

"I believe you can figure it out, Fuu," he said. "You are stronger than you think you are. Don't you remember one of the sayings of the sage?"

'_**I think he's talking about my father,' **_Chomei said.

'_The Sage of the Six Paths?'_

'_**That's the one.'**_

"What saying?" Fuu asked, turning her attention back to Takumi.

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail," Takumi said. "It's impossible to never fail at things, Fuu. The important part is to keep trying, no matter how hard it seems."

He smiled at her. For a moment, Fuu wondered if that was what a father was supposed to do. She looked away and stared at the grass.

"You're mean, Takumi-sensei," she muttered.

"Huh? How am I mean?" His voice sounded perplexed.

"You're mean because you're right!" she yelled.

With a sigh, she stood back up. She stretched her arms over her head and bent back to release some of the tension in her body.

'_**Try again, Fuu,'**_ Chomei said._** 'It'll take a while but you're getting better and better.'**_

'I will.'

"Are you going to try again?" Takumi asked with a grin.

Fuu pouted but nodded her head. Takumi moved back to his observation point, but not before beaming at her in encouragement. Fuu forced herself to breathe deeply and relax. She let herself be heavy, feeling her own chakra supply coursing throughout her body.

'_Let's do it, Chomei.'_

At once, she felt Chomei's chakra. It was overwhelming and made her feel tiny. She pulled on it, trying to combine it with her own chakra. She breathed out as she settled her hands back into the ram hand seal. As before, she prepared herself to use Chomei's power for the transformation. However, before she molded the chakra, she came to a realization.

'_Wait, why am I trying to use all this chakra for one transformation? A henge doesn't require that much power to use.'_

Experimentally, she held onto a tiny portion of Chomei's borrowed chakra instead of trying to wrestle with its entirety. _Well, I've got nothing to lose by trying_. She closed her eyes and prayed for the best as she molded the chakra.

When she opened her eyes, her viewpoint was higher than before. In front of her, she saw Takumi's strong hands instead of her own. To her relief, there were exactly ten fingers. She giggled in triumph and Takumi's voice came out instead.

'_**I think you did it, Fuu!' **_Chomei said, sounding absolutely delighted.

'_I think I did!' _For confirmation, she turned toward her teacher.

"Takumi-sensei!" she shouted. "Did I do it right? Is my henge correct?"

Takumi nodded and clapped his hands together. "Yes," he said. "It's a perfect transformation. Very handsome if I do say so myself."

Fuu cheered, clapping her hands together in excitement.

Not only had she succeeded at using the transformation jutsu, but Chomei's chakra shroud remained. It covered her body, both protecting her and boosting her strength. She let go of the chakra, returning to her normal form.

'_**I knew you could do it.'**_

'_Thanks, Chomei.' _Fuu giggled as Takumi patted the top of her head in congratulations.

'_**Once you master this initial form, you can start practicing with the One-Tailed chakra shroud version,'**_ Chomei continued._** 'After that, only six more tails and we can start on Version Two and partial transformations.'**_

Fuu's heart skipped a beat and her smile froze on her face. _'You mean there are more transformations?!'_

'_**Yup!' **_Chomei answered cheerfully. _**'It took you a couple of weeks to learn how to do a henge while using the Initial Jinchuuriki transformation. I don't know how long it will take to master this initial form, but at the rate so far, we should gain full control in five or six years. Give or take.'**_

Fuu shouted in frustration. Her celebration already felt premature. Takumi took a step back, perplexed._ I should have known it wasn't going to be that easy!_

Fuu sighed again, taking a step away from Takumi. "I've gotta keep practicing, Takumi-sensei," she said. "Chomei says there are a lot more transformations I need to learn and it's going to take five or six years, give or take, to master them all."

"Years?" Takumi asked, shocked. "How many kinds of transformations are there?"

"Too many to count," Fuu muttered.

Takumi patted her head one last time. He squeezed her shoulder and stepped back to give her space to practice. Fuu put her hands into the ram hand seal as Chomei let her borrow their chakra again.

_Well, I might as well master this initial form first._

**O-O-O-O-O**

For the past few days, Roshi, Han, and Yagura had been getting to know one another. At first, they spent their days wandering, relaxing, and talking. After years of stress and missions, it was nice to have nothing to do.

However, Roshi knew that wouldn't last long. To his dismay, Yagura was flightier than expected and seemed to have no plan in place. While Roshi didn't care much about that- no one had any idea what to do anyway- he did care about one thing.

"Yagura, please," Roshi begged for the twentieth time as they set up camp for the night. "I'm asking as a friend. Change your face."

"I thought you wanted me to be your daddy," Yagura said with a smirk. Roshi forced himself not to hurl as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why must you make me suffer?" Roshi asked.

"Hey, I was able to find out they were looking for you two because of this disguise," Yagura argued.

"Is it really that difficult to make a face?" Han asked, cool and collected as usual. "That disguise might have worked while you were alone. But now that we're together, it will be suspicious to have two people with the same face."

Yagura opened his mouth to speak before Roshi interrupted.

"If anyone who knows me saw you, they would automatically know you were not my father!" Roshi yelled. "My biological father died before I even got my bijuu. You trying to pose as him will only be suspicious, especially when Iwa tries to track us down."

Yagura sighed. He seemed to consider Roshi's words because he looked up at the sky, deep in thought. Roshi felt a spark of hope that he would no longer see his own face staring back at him and calling him a son.

"I suppose," Yagura conceded. "Although you have to admit my disguise was useful for something at least."

"Sure," Roshi agreed, if only in hope of getting him to change his face.

"Fine," Yagura said with a deep sigh.

He sat down cross-legged on the ground, leaning on a tree. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, his hands formed into the ram seal. A few seconds later, the face rearranged itself and a stranger's appeared.

Yagura's new features were harsher. His cheekbones were high and sharp. A scar ran down one of the eyes like a tear. His hair remained gray while the eyes were a dark magenta color.

Yagura opened his eyes. "Happy now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow up.

"Yes," Roshi answered testily. "Thank you. But if it was so easy, why didn't you do it from the beginning?"

Yagura rolled his eyes. "Because it's easier to use a face I already know. I have to actually think about it if I have to make my own."

"Stop being lazy!" Roshi shouted, exasperated. Yagura only rolled his eyes again.

Han laughed. Roshi threw him a betrayed glare, but Han appeared more amused by their argument than anything._ Traitor._

"So you have a new face," Han said. "What's next?"

"I've been thinking about it," Yagura said, lounging back against the tree trunk. Roshi and Han joined him in a semi-circle. Yagura stared up at the sky in silence. Time slowed down to a crawl.

"What have you been thinking?" Roshi finally asked, tired of waiting. "If you're going to say that you can be my daddy again, I might try to kill you."

Yagura shook his head. "No," he said. "I think you two should make your debut."

"Our... debut?" Han asked, a frown on his face.

"Yup," Yagura answered.

"What do you mean by 'debut'?" Roshi asked.

"Exactly what I said," he answered. "If you want to be infamous as mercenaries, you need a big and flashy mission to announce yourselves. The easiest way would be to defeat and take the bounty of an S-rank missing-nin."

"S-rank?" Roshi repeated skeptically. He wasn't sure how easy he could defeat such a ninja, even with Han's help.

"Or A-rank," Yagura conceded. "We need to form a team. We might even get our own underlings over time! You two use your real names, but I need to use a fake name. Any ideas?"

"Asshole," Roshi muttered.

"Riku," Han suggested.

"Kaito it is," Yagura decided. "Now, the question is... what is my role going to be? I can't show off my complete strength or the world might find out I'm not actually dead."

Their group fell into silence as they considered their options.

"I can be your bed warmer," Yagura said jokingly.

"That sounds like a fine idea," Han said. He shared a glance with Roshi. _The only way to deal with this man is to take his words at face value._

"I'm married though," Yagura said. "But... if you insist..." He smirked, daring either Han or Roshi to accept as he crawled forward.

_I'll never win against this guy. _Roshi sighed and Han shook his head. Yagura laughed as he lounged back on the tree.

"Yagura, please be serious," Han demanded. "What's your plan?"

"You guys are no fun," Yagura grumbled. "But sure. I'll tell you."

He cleared his throat before speaking again. "I'm going to be a chuunin missing-nin from Kirigakure. I escaped from the village two years ago. I have a son and a daughter who stayed behind. My wife never wants to see my face ever again. I found you two while looking for a target to hunt. We became friends and started a mercenary company together."

"You seem to have a good backstory," Roshi commented, an eyebrow raised. _Why didn't you tell us earlier?_

Yagura shrugged. "The best backstories have at least an element of truth in them." Roshi wondered which parts of his introduction were lies.

"Well, we have our identities covered," Han said. "Now what do you plan to do for our debut?"

"Well, there is one thing that is even more important than that," Yagura said.

"What's that?" Roshi asked.

Yagura smirked. "You have to obtain full control over your bijuu," he said. "Not stealing its power. Not suppressing it. But real and true control over it and their many possible forms."

Roshi snorted. The Yonbi was an unreasonable creature whose only use was for taking its chakra. Trying to work with that... monster... was at the top of the list of bad ideas.

"Is... is that possible?" Han asked incredulously. "I've had the Gobi for decades and while we can work together when necessary, it requires pleading on my part. I think it's impossible to do as you say."

"Oh please, like you don't have Killer B, Yugito, Fuu, and I to show you that it can be done," Yagura said, rolling his eyes. "Even the angriest, meanest, and most hard-headed bijuu can be tamed. You only need to realize that they are not monsters."

"Mine is," Roshi muttered.

A second later, he winced as Yagura leaned forward and flicked him on the forehead. By instinct, he rubbed at his face, staring incredulously at Yagura, who wore a self-satisfied smirk. _Did you really just flick my forehead like an entitled child?_

"See, this is why you can't work with the Four-Tails so well," Yagura scolded. "Calling them monsters is a big no-no. They are creatures created by the Sage of Six Paths himself. They have their own feelings, wants, and needs. Calling them 'monsters' is too easy."

"The village sees us as monsters too, Roshi," Han added. "It's very clear we're not."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you met the Four-Tails," Roshi complained.

Yagura snorted. "I don't need to know the Four-Tails personally to know that you are being unreasonable. Can't you at least try to get along?"

"We must, Roshi," Han added, staring down at him. "If the person who brainwashed Yagura tries to capture us, we need their full power at our disposal."

Roshi felt a shiver run down his back._ I don't like this. I don't need the Four-Tails for anything except as a power supply. _However, he thought about the other jinchuuriki who had already obtained control. _They did it, why can't I?_

Reluctantly, he nodded his head.

**O-O-O-O-O**

After that first training session, Naruto went to the Uchiha compound every day. Like clockwork, he and Sasuke trained in the morning before breaking for lunch.

To his bewilderment, Sasuke's mother had only been kind and respectful to him. He could count the number of adults outside of the jinchuuriki who treated him with kindness on one hand. That list began and ended with Teuchi.

He knew why the people of Konoha hated him so much and he didn't understand why Sasuke's mother was an exception. She always made enough food not only for Sasuke and herself but for Naruto too. As they ate, she sometimes shared stories about her life and her friends. Naruto thought that her friends must have died long ago because her eyes always glazed over whenever she talked about them.

When they finished eating, she always invited him to stay for dinner, but Naruto always declined, sometimes lying about why. They continued that routine for two weeks until Sasuke's mother finally got her way.

"Please stay for dinner, Naruto-kun," Sasuke's mother said as Naruto put his shoes back on at the entrance. "My husband would like to meet you."

Naruto squirmed. He had been rejecting every invitation so far.

"That's okay, Uchiha-san," he responded, shaking his head and pasting a grin on his face. "My clothes are dirty after training, so I don't wanna stay like that, ya know?" He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Oh, don't worry about that," she said, a grin on her face. "You can always wash up here. I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind if you borrowed his clothes for a day."

Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke, who was standing behind his mother. As expected, Sasuke did not look happy at the offer on his behalf. He glared at Naruto, daring him to agree.

"Oh, I don't think we're the same size, Uchiha-san," Naruto lied. He chuckled. "Sasuke is a little taller than me, ya know."

"A little?" Sasuke muttered under his breath. Naruto glared at him.

"Well, if not today, how about tomorrow?" she asked, smiling. "I'm sure my husband and Itachi would love to talk to you. Sasuke talks about you a lot when you're not here and they're curious."

"No, I don't!" Sasuke protested, face reddening in indignation.

Sasuke's mother ignored him again and she looked down at Naruto, meeting his eyes.

"T-tomorrow?" Naruto had hoped to avoid dinner with Sasuke's family for the rest of his life if possible. Lunch was weird enough with just Sasuke and his mom. He dreaded to imagine what dinner with the rest of his family would be like.

She nodded. "Yes. If you don't want to borrow from Sasuke, you can bring a change of clothes tomorrow," she said. "You can wash up here and be ready for dinner with us. If you can't tomorrow, we can always set up a specific day that works for you. Or I can ask my husband to take a break from work and meet us for lunch."

_Is she really going to do all this work just for me? _Naruto felt trapped. He had no more excuses to deny the invitation beyond thinking that it would be weird.

"N-no, that's okay," Naruto said, forcing a grin on his face. "I think I can stay tomorrow. I just don't want to be annoying, ya know."

"You're always annoying," Sasuke muttered under his breath. They ignored him.

"You won't be a bother, Naruto-kun," she continued. "What do you say, will you stay over tomorrow for dinner?"

Naruto turned his gaze between Sasuke and his mother as he thought about the question. Her eyes were bright and optimistic as she awaited his answer. Meanwhile, Sasuke seemed completely uninterested in whether or not Naruto would accept. It was Sasuke's complete disinterest that sealed the decision for him. _Well, if Sasuke doesn't care..._

"I guess I can stay tomorrow for dinner." Naruto looked down at his feet.

"Oh, good!" she clapped her hands together and her smile widened. "I will make sure to prepare something you like."

"Oh, uh, you don't have to," Naruto said. "Your food is always really good, Uchiha-san."

She chuckled. "Oh, you flatter me, Naruto-kun."

"It's the truth," Sasuke said.

"It is," Naruto agreed.

She chuckled again before she bent forward and placed a hand on top of his head. Naruto flinched at the sudden contact. Her touch was more gentle than anything he had experienced in person before. He felt a strange fluttering in his stomach.

"We will see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun," she said, brushing his bangs out of his forehead. "Don't worry about being a bother. We are always happy to have you here, aren't we, Sasuke?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the mention of his name but the rest of his face remained impassive.

"I guess you're not the worst person to have around," Sasuke said. Naruto rolled his eyes. _I like spending time with you too, asshole._

Sasuke's mother sighed exasperatedly. She stepped back, ruffling Naruto's hair one more time. "Have a good day, Naruto-kun," she said. "Make sure to bring a change of clothes tomorrow."

"Will do, Uchiha-san!" Naruto said as he finished putting his shoes back on. He grinned and waved before leaving. He heard both Sasuke and his mother calling out their goodbyes. He headed back home, worried.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Oh, Father is home," Sasuke said when they heard the sound of a door closing. His eyes brightened as he put down his book and ran to the entrance. Naruto followed behind him reluctantly.

After their now-typical training and lunch session, Naruto had stayed at Sasuke's house. He had used his bathroom to clean up, changing into the best clothes he owned, which was not saying much. From there, he had spent the rest of the afternoon with Sasuke in his bedroom.

To Naruto's amazement, Sasuke had a huge collection of books ranging in all sorts of topics. They had sat reading together mostly in silence until Sasuke's father arrived.

"Is your father really that strict?" Naruto whispered as they walked down the hall.

Sasuke nodded his head. "He never smiles. You'll be fine as long as you don't do anything stupid."

Naruto gulped. They arrived at the end of the hall. A tall man sat at the entrance, taking off his shoes. He glanced behind his shoulder to look at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Good evening, Sasuke," he said.

"Good evening, Father," Sasuke answered, much more formal than when with his mother. Naruto felt his stomach turn over itself._ If Sasuke is this formal with his own father, what about me?_

"Good evening, Uchiha-sama," Naruto said, bowing his head down. He felt a bead of sweat rolling down his back. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Sasuke's father was silent for a few seconds before answering. "The pleasure is all mine," he said. "No need to be so formal, Naruto-kun. My name is Fugaku Uchiha."

"Th-thank you, Uchiha-san." He looked down at his feet, head bowed down. Naruto hoped his face was not as red as it felt. He chanced a glance at Sasuke, who rolled his eyes. Naruto glared at him. _You made me nervous, jerk!_

Without saying anything else, Sasuke's father stepped inside and walked toward the dining room. Sasuke followed at his heels and Naruto fell behind him.

"Fugaku, you arrived a little early," Sasuke's mother said as she stirred something at the stove. "I haven't even finished the meal yet!"

"That's fine," he replied as he sat down at the low table. "I can talk to Naruto and Sasuke in the meantime."

Sasuke followed his father's lead and sat down, Naruto at his side. Naruto felt the remains of his confidence fading away._ Why does he want to talk to me too? What does he want me to say anyway? _He kept his eyes focused on the table to avoid looking at Sasuke's father.

"Would you like some tea?" Sasuke's mother asked.

"I'm fine," the man answered. "How about you two boys?"

"I'm fine, Father," Sasuke said. "It's too bitter."

Naruto shook his head desperately. _They're so generous!_

"What did you do today, Sasuke?" his father asked.

Sasuke shifted, almost imperceptibly, before answering. Naruto wished he had the same level of self-control.

"Naruto and I trained in the morning," Sasuke said. "After lunch, we cleaned up and spent the rest of the afternoon reading and studying."

"What kind of training did you do today?" he asked.

At once, Sasuke listed and described the different things they had been doing during their mornings in full detail. Naruto listened, afraid to add anything. He wasn't sure he could have the same degree of eloquence as Sasuke anyway. Sasuke's father said nothing while his son talked. When Sasuke finished, he stared up at his father, waiting for feedback.

"I see," the man said. "Your training seems adequate for now."

Naruto saw Sasuke's shoulders tense up. A flash of disappointment crossed his eyes before disappearing. _I guess Sasuke wanted him to say more._

Naruto looked up from the table. To his horror, Sasuke's father was staring at Naruto, gaze stern and critical. Despite his earlier promise to himself to be polite, he shifted uneasily._ He probably already hates me, ya know._

"What kind of training did you do, Naruto-kun?" he asked, looking directly into his eyes. Naruto had a sudden desire to run away.

"M-me?" he stuttered. Panicked he glanced at Sasuke, but his face was impassive. He turned to look back at Sasuke's father. "Um... I guess... I've mostly been doing the same thing as Sasuke, ya know."

"You can keep up with my son's training routine?" the man asked, a small frown on his face.

"Uh... yeah?" Naruto answered nervously. Silence fell inside the room. Naruto shifted in his seat on the floor cushion. The silence stretched on awkwardly.

"I win most of the spars," Sasuke said once the silence had stretched on for uncomfortably long.

"No, you don't!" Naruto snapped, broken out of his nervousness as he pulled on Sasuke's collar. "I win at least half of our matches, ya know!"

"Hn, when you get lucky," Sasuke muttered.

"Nuh-uh! I won the first bout today!"

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, but I still won the majority."

Naruto felt his blood boil. He got ready to argue more with Sasuke when he heard a deep voice clearing his throat. Immediately, the blood drained from his face and he looked up at the Uchiha patriarch in fear.

To his relief, the man did not appear angry about their argument and instead looked mostly amused. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dinner is ready," Sasuke's mother interrupted. "Now, where is Itachi? He said he would-"

Her statement was interrupted by a flurry of wind and smoke as someone entered the kitchen with a body flicker.

"I'm here, Mother, Father," a deep voice said.

Naruto blinked. When the smoke dissipated, a tall teenager stood at the center of the room. _Sasuke's brother._

Unlike when Naruto first met him, he appeared worn down. He had bags under his eyes that could rival Roshi's. His face was more serious than before, with not even a trace of a smile. Naruto wondered how he could have changed so much since the last time he saw him.

"Ah! Itachi! You're here!" Sasuke's mother said, taking his sudden appearance in stride. "Help me serve dinner."

Obediently, Itachi accompanied his mother to the kitchen, but not before shooting Naruto a quick glance. Naruto forced himself not to shiver. _Sasuke's brother is scarier than his father._

A minute later, they returned, holding plates and bowls of food which they set down on the table. To Naruto's relief, it was not fancier than what they usually enjoyed at lunchtime.

"Thank you for the meal," Sasuke's father said as he grabbed a pair of chopsticks. The rest of the table followed his lead as they dug into their food.

Compared to lunch with Sasuke's mother, everyone was serious as they are in silence. Naruto focused on the meal in front of him. He wanted to run away, but he knew that it would've been rude. _At least the food is good._

"What special training are you doing, Naruto-kun?" Sasuke's father eventually asked, breaking the silence.

Naruto chewed and swallowed. "I focus on taijutsu right now," he answered. "My endurance is... good, so it's good for me."

"Unfortunately true," Sasuke complained. "You never get tired."

"You're just jealous because I don't get out of breath after the third match!"

"And you're jealous that my accuracy with shuriken is better!"

Naruto dug an elbow into Sasuke's ribs. "At least I know how to ask for help when I need it."

Sasuke huffed and turned his attention back to his meal. Naruto chanced a glance up at Sasuke's father, afraid of disappointment. To his surprise, the man looked amused again.

"You should focus on your strengths," he said with a nod. "You two will learn how to mold chakra soon. You can figure out your own techniques and fighting style later."

From there, the tension in the dining room lessened as conversation erupted. Sasuke's mother told them a story while his father asked questions about their training. Only Itachi remained completely silent, eating while observing their conversation.

Naruto answered as honestly as he could. Over time, his initial awkwardness dissipated and he became less afraid to look at Sasuke's father in the eye. He felt like he had received some sort of silent approval.

When dinner ended, Sasuke's father left while Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi stayed behind to help clean up. Naruto offered to wash the dishes.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun," she said with a smile. "I can take care of it."

"Oh... uh... if you're sure, Uchiha-san." Naruto fidgeted. "Thank you very much for inviting me to dinner."

She chuckled. "The pleasure is all mine. Fugaku has been curious about you for a while." She took the dirty dishes and dumped them in the sink before turning around to look at Naruto in the eye.

"Now, Naruto-kun," she continued. "I have one little question for you."

"Oh? What's that, Uchiha-san?" he asked.

"Would you like to stay the night?" she asked, looking unfortunately sincere about the invitation.

Naruto felt his face heat up. _Why are they so nice to me? It's weird!_ He shook his head.

"I-it's okay, Uchiha-san," he stuttered. "I've already stayed here too long, ya know?"

She shook her head. "You haven't. Besides, isn't it a little late for you to go home alone? It's pretty dark outside."

"Oh... uh... thank you, but I'll be fine," Naruto said. He looked down at his feet in embarrassment.

She stared quietly at him for a few seconds. Finally, she sighed. "Fine, if you say, Naruto-kun. But I insist that Itachi take you home. It's not safe to travel through the village at night, even in these times of peace."

_Itachi? _Naruto glanced at Sasuke's brother. He was drinking a cup of tea at the kitchen table with a calm expression on his face. Sasuke sat at his side, sipping from his own cup and trying not to cringe at the bitterness.

"I can," Itachi said as he set his cup down. He hadn't heard Itachi say anything since he arrived, although Sasuke kept staring at him in admiration.

"Um... sure?" Naruto said.

"Can I go too, Itachi?" Sasuke asked excitedly. To Naruto's surprise, Itachi poked his forehead and pushed him back.

"Next time, Sasuke," he said. Sasuke rubbed at his forehead with a frustrated pout. The room fell into silence.

"I-I'll go get my things," Naruto said to break the awkwardness. Sasuke looked down at his cup of tea.

Naruto ran back to Sasuke's bedroom, grabbed his backpack, and ran back to the kitchen. Already, Itachi stood at the exit, waiting for him in silence.

"I'm ready to go," Naruto said unnecessarily. Itachi only nodded while Sasuke sulked at the table and his mother cleaned up. He said goodbye before they left the Uchiha compound.

The walk to Naruto's apartment was awkward. Itachi said nothing and Naruto had no idea how to break the silence. He wondered why Itachi would rather spend time with Naruto over his own brother. _Sasuke could have come with us too, ya know! _

Itachi was only a year or two older than Fuu but already seemed more tired and world-weary than Roshi. He could understand why Sasuke admired him so much, but at the same time, he seemed so distant.

"Are you friends with Sasuke?" Itachi asked once they reached Naruto's apartment, breaking the awkwardness. Naruto dropped his keys. Itachi had been quiet for so long that his question startled him.

"Huh?" he asked, spinning around to look up at Itachi.

"Would you consider Sasuke your friend?" he asked again.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said. "He'd never say it and I never will either. We're rivals, ya know!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Naruto gulped and fidgeted with the keys in his hands.

"But... We spend too much time together not hating or fighting each other," he admitted. "I guess he's not just a rival."

To Naruto's surprise, Itachi chuckled. It was the first time he had seen Itachi express real and genuine joy. It changed his face completely and Naruto almost dropped his keys again.

Itachi hummed thoughtfully. "I think Sasuke feels the same way."

"Oh... uh... okay," Naruto answered, lost for words. _Are Sasuke and I friends?_

"Have a good night, Naruto-kun," Itachi said, nodding his head.

"Good night, Itachi-san," Naruto replied, returning the gesture.

He opened his front door and stepped inside. When he turned around to say a final farewell, Itachi was already gone.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: As someone predicted, Han just sees Yagura and Roshi interactions as a free source of comedy.**

**If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Roshi gets drunk.**


	23. New Partner

**In which Roshi suffers, Hinata returns to school, and the boys keep up with training.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Controlling the arms is more difficult than I expected," Han said, a bead of sweat falling down his forehead.

"Of course it is," Yagura said, rolling his eyes. "If it were easy, every one of us would already be fully-realized jinchuuriki. The hardest part is actually not destroying anything."

Han nodded and summoned his Chakra Arms again, using the five chakra tails to move a group of rocks. Roshi stared at him with jealous outrage. Yagura had only been training them on how to control the different forms for two weeks. Already, Han had nearly mastered the five-tailed Version 1 form.

_And then there's me._

Roshi had seen no success controlling even the Initial Form. Unlike Han, he could only use the Four-Tails's chakra by stealing it, forcing the monkey demon to give it up. While it increased his power and speed exponentially, there were drawbacks to taking the chakra by force. Instead of protecting him from attacks, the shroud burned. It also affected his mental state, making him more impulsive and violent.

Meanwhile, Han, Yugito, B, and Yagura could combine their chakra with that of their beasts' to achieve higher forms. With that power, they were stronger, faster, and more protected than ever before. Once they reached a higher level, they even had access to the Chakra Arms, which acted as supplementary limbs.

Roshi thought the entire situation unfair. _How come you got the easy-going bijuu?_

He glared at Han in annoyance. The other man was trying to juggle a pile of rocks using his five new limbs while Yagura looked on, impressed.

Frustrated, he tried to use the Initial Jinchuuriki form again. He closed his eyes and called the Yonbi's chakra to himself. He felt its power, furious and frustrated, building behind his navel. When he opened his eyes, a layer of chakra surrounded him, granting him strength and a layer of protection.

However, it wasn't a perfect use. The Four-Tails was inside his mind, corrupting his thoughts and actions. If he concentrated, he could also feel the beast's chakra burning his skin. Roshi grimaced and let go of the transformation. _Two weeks and I still can't master the Initial Form._

Resigned, Roshi took a break from trying to steal the Four-Tails's chakra. He collapsed on the grass with a sigh. He stared up at the sky, feeling extremely sorry for himself.

"Still don't get it?" Yagura stepped in front of him, blocking his sight.

Roshi grimaced. "Nope. The demon keeps interfering with my mind. Han got lucky with his bijuu."

He glared at Han, who was now juggling the rocks without any effort._ Lucky bastard._

Yagura sighed and sat down next to him. To his relief, restoring his view of the sky. "You know, Fuu has nearly mastered her control over the Initial Form," he said. "And she's only ten."

Roshi's grimace deepened. "She got lucky with her bijuu, too."

"Utakata can use the Six-Tails's ability to create acids and combine it with his bubble jutsu," Yagura added. "With no negative repercussions to his body."

"His bijuu is probably weak."

"Yugito-chan obtained full control over her bijuu and all its forms at the age of seventeen."

"The Two-Tails probably took pity on her."

"Killer B tamed the 8-Tails," Yagura continued, voice full of amusement. "The Eight-Tails is considered one of the strongest and most willful of the tailed beasts."

"It took pity on Killer B's rapping skills." Roshi felt himself running out of excuses. Yagura sighed, sounding like he was suppressing laughter. Roshi felt a sudden urge to punch his face.

"Roshi, you know three jinchuuriki with full control over their bijuu and three more with partial control," Yagura said. "You are the only one I know who stubbornly refuses to admit you're doing something wrong."

"What am I doing wrong?" Roshi demanded to know.

"Well, to begin with, you keep referring to your tailed beast as an angry monkey demon," Yagura answered. "And you keep saying that it's evil and shouldn't be alive. You don't even respect it enough to use the name given to him by the sage. If I were in his position, I would refuse to lend you my chakra, too."

_He's right._ "You're wrong."

Yagura raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He collapsed on the grass next to Roshi, looking up at the sky. They laid down in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds coming from Han juggling rocks and the sounds of nature.

Eventually, Yagura sighed. He stood up and stared down at Roshi. "We should relax a little," he said. "You need to stop focusing so much on... things."

From the background, Roshi heard the rocks crash to the ground, Han's exercise finished.

"Yagura is right," Han said, walking to join them. "We need to celebrate how I was able to obtain control over the Version 1 Form in a couple of weeks."

Roshi glared at his friend. _Rub it in, why don't you..._

"There's a town nearby," Yagura said. "We can stay at an inn with an onsen and relax. Have a few drinks. Get your mind off your absolute failure to use the Yonbi's chakra."

Roshi might have been angrier if Yagura wasn't completely right. Frustrated, he nodded. _Some sake would make this situation way better._

**O-O-O-O-O**

The town Yagura led them to was a lot seedier than Roshi had expected. Instead of restaurants, he only saw bars and brothels. The streets were dirty and there were no children. At the inn, they were charged per hour instead of per night. They also appeared surprised to see three grown men sharing a room together, although they politely said nothing.

_How come Yagura only likes these kinds of towns? First Tanzaku Quarters and now this? _Roshi groaned, taking a sip of his sake. The bar was loud and busy, full of happy people. Next to him, Yagura and Han chatted, sounding completely carefree. _Lucky bastards._

He took another, larger, sip. It burned as it went down his throat and arrived at his stomach. He shuddered. _Fucking demon monkey._

"So you're unable to perform, big deal," Yagura teased as he put his healthy arm over Roshi's shoulder. "It happens sometimes to a lot of guys."

Han snorted. Roshi only stopped himself from punching him through sheer force of will.

"What do you know about performance?" Roshi muttered.

"I've been married for nearly fifteen years now," Yagura said. "It's happened a few times."

"I don't think that's the kind of performance Roshi is talking about," Han said, voice full of amusement. Roshi got the urge to punch him, too.

"Oh, right," Yagura said. "Well, whatever kind of performance, no one is perfect."

"I will kill you," Roshi said as he pushed Yagura's arm away from his shoulder. The other man only laughed.

Roshi took another sip of sake. His mind was already clouded and his self-misery didn't help. He glared at Yagura, who sat next to him. To his dismay, he seemed unaffected by the alcohol. He was chatting animatedly to Han, who could drink three full bottles before starting to feel any effect. _The benefits of being big and tall._

"You need to relax, Roshi," Yagura said. "You're too serious. Look at Han! He's already drunk twice what you have!"

"That's because he weighs three times what I do," Roshi grumbled.

"And who's chakra control is better?" Yagura asked with a smirk. Roshi placed his head down on the bar, cocooned inside his crossed arms.

"I'll kill you both in your sleep," he grumbled to the bar, half-heartedly. "Anyway, how come you're not starting to feel the effects?" he asked. "You've been drinking as much as I have, if not more."

"Well, maybe if you had better control of your chakra, you could use it to boost your liver's filtration speed," Yagura said, taking a sip of sake.

_The bijuu can do that? _Roshi lifted his head up to drink more, directly from the bottle that time. Yagura and Han chuckled to themselves._ I'm glad my suffering is funny to you._

Han bent forward to speak in Roshi's ear, keeping their conversation private. "You need to talk to the Four-Tails," he whispered. "You don't even talk to him and you still try to take its chakra by force."

"I don't want to," Roshi grumbled. He chugged his sake directly from the bottle. He heard Han sigh in exasperation.

"Just do it," Han said, out loud that time.

Roshi grimaced. Even in the Room, everyone seemed to be ganging up on him and telling him to talk to his bijuu. The only ones who refrained were Gaara and Naruto, and he knew why they didn't. He was starting to wonder if he was just stubborn.

"Fine!" Roshi exclaimed, slamming his bottle down on the bar. "I'll talk to the bastard. Nothing is going to change, though."

Yagura shrugged. "Don't be so sure about that."

Roshi glared at him as he chugged the rest of the sake.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Roshi didn't wait to sober up before talking to his bijuu. Once they left the bar and headed to their room at the inn, he meditated. A few seconds later, he appeared in his mind space, apart from the Room.

"**So you finally saw fit to talk to me,"** the monkey demon grumbled.

Roshi stared impassively at the Four-Tails. It was pinned down on a pillar, his arms and legs bound by gigantic chakra chains. It struggled against its constraints, but it was useless. It glowered at Roshi. _The seal is too strong, even for a bijuu._

"I need your chakra," Roshi slurred. Despite not having his physical body there, he felt the effects of alcohol. His vision blurred. He wobbled and collapsed on his knees, nauseous. _Why does alcohol affect me when it's not even my real self?_

The monkey demon laughed at the moment of weakness, cruel and sadistic. Roshi grimaced._ I can't remember the last time I talked to the monster._

"I need your chakra," Roshi repeated, looking up at the tailed beast from his kneeling position. The beast stopped laughing at once.

"**How dare you!" **it shouted. **"For your entire life, you have looked down on me and my kind. You don't even use my name! Why should I let you use my chakra?"**

"Because you live in me," Roshi answered. "If I die, you die, too."

The monkey snorted. The sound was strange when coming from the creature.** "Even so, I will eventually reform. You won't. And I will be free."**

"It'll take a long time though, won't it?" Roshi said. "And it would take even longer to reach the full extent of your power."

The bijuu growled. **"Still preferable over letting you take my chakra. You probably don't even remember my name. Why should I trust you with my power?"**

Roshi frowned to himself. He was either drunker than he had thought or the Four-Tails was making sense. They stared at each other in silence as they waited for the other one to speak.

"I never forgot your name," Roshi eventually muttered. "I was only ten years old when I talked to you for the first time, but I still remember it."

The bijuu snorted again. **"Oh yeah? And what is it?"**

"You are Son Goku. The King of the Sage Monkeys, The Handsome Monkey King, and the Great Sage Equalling Heaven," he answered, not missing a beat.

The beast stared at him, shocked that Roshi could remember all the titles. It was silent until it growled again, screeching furiously.

"**If you remember, why have you never used my name!?"** it screamed.

"Because..." Roshi swallowed. He had never thought of admitting it to anyone, let alone the monkey king. "I was too proud. I thought if I didn't use your name, I could always have some control over you, no matter what."

"**What?" **The bijuu stared at Roshi in incredulity. Roshi met his eyes, face impassive.

"I'm sorry," Roshi said.

Those two words seemed to shock the bijuu more than anything else, because he startled, shifting back as much as his chains could let him. Roshi and the monkey king stared at each other appraisingly, trying to put their thoughts into words.

"Those titles are too long though." Roshi broke the silence first. "Why don't I just call you... Son?"

The Four-Tails stared down at Roshi, who was still kneeling and drunk on the ground. After what seemed like an eternity, he grunted and nodded his head.

"**That'll work," **Son Goku said.

Roshi smiled before leaving his mind space. When he opened his eyes, Yagura and Han were hovering over him, staring worriedly into his face.

"So? How did it go?" Han asked.

Roshi didn't answer. Before anyone could stop him, he ran to the toilet and immediately let go of the contents of his stomach. His companions grimaced in sympathy.

Roshi wiped his mouth with a forearm. _At least I finally made some progress._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Hinata looked at the entrance of the Academy with relief. Her summer holiday had not been the best and her separation from Naruto had only made it worse.

Nearly every day, she had woken up early to train with her father or another clan member. She was supposed to be learning how to improve her Byakugan and the beginning of the Gentle Fist style of fighting. However, progress had been slow and disappointing.

Hinata was not as strong as her father expected. She tired easily and needed to practice the same move several times before she could replicate it. Her strikes were clumsy and often missed their marks. She hesitated before her opponents.

In comparison, her cousin Neji, despite being from the branch clan, had already progressed much further. He was only eight years old, but he already had a strong foundation in all aspects of clan techniques. Even Hanabi, who was only two, already showed high proficiency in taijutsu and a willingness to learn.

Hinata didn't feel like the heir to the Hyuuga clan. She felt weak, meek, and shy. Her father, while never overtly cruel, didn't bother to hide his disappointment in her performance.

Relieved that she wouldn't have to train every day for hours, she stepped inside her classroom. She was the first person there. She sat down next to the window and waited impatiently for Naruto to arrive. _I miss him so much._

Slowly, other students started to trickle in. Shino arrived after her, sitting at the back of the classroom. Sasuke arrived next, sitting near the front of the class by himself. A few other students arrived, too, some of whom she didn't remember. She looked up whenever the door opened but was disappointed every time.

_I hope he's still enrolled in the Academy. _Hinata knew that sometimes students dropped out during the breaks. She pushed her fingertips together. She bit her lip and looked down at her desk. Only five minutes were left until the class began and Naruto had yet to arrive.

Around her, her classmates talked amongst each other, catching up after a holiday spent apart. No one talked to her or asked to sit next to her. Despite being surrounded by other children her age, she felt completely alone. By the time Iruka came in to start the class, she remained alone at her table, trying not to cry. _I guess it's just me today._

She stared at the desk as Iruka began his lecture, although she absorbed nothing of what he was saying.

"Iruka-sensei!" a loud voice yelled from the doorway.

Everyone turned to stare. Naruto stood at the entrance to the classroom. His eyes were open wide in panic and his shirt was inside out. He stopped for a second to get his breathing back in order. Hinata's heart soared.

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled back. "What happened? Why are you late?"

Naruto grinned bashfully. "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei," he panted. "I forgot to set the alarm last night, so I woke up late, ya know."

Iruka sighed. "I'll let you off the hook since it's the first day back," he said, clearing his throat. "But if you're late again, you will need to stay here after class and help me clean up. Do you understand?"

Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Yes, Iruka-sensei."

Hinata caught Sasuke mutter something, but she couldn't hear it. Naruto must have, however, because he stuck his tongue out at Sasuke when Iruka turned his back.

Cheerfully, Naruto scanned the classroom. His eyes widened in happiness when he saw Hinata and the empty chair next to her. He ran to her table and sat down.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan!" he greeted with a grin. "I missed you during the summer, ya know."

Hinata smiled back. "I missed you too, Naruto-kun."

**O-O-O-O-O**

On the first day back to school after the summer break, Naruto woke up late. He jolted awake, looking at the alarm clock he forgot to set the night before in panic.

He rushed through his morning routine, brushing his teeth and dressing as fast as possible. He put on his backpack, taking a slice of bread to eat on the way to school.

When he arrived, the class had already started. He apologized to Iruka, trying to get his breath back under control. To his immense relief, his teacher didn't punish him and allowed him to join the class instead.

Sasuke called him an idiot under his breath. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him before going to sit next to Hinata. To his eternal joy, she looked just as happy to see him as he was to see her.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan!" he said. "I missed you during the summer, ya know."

Hinata smiled back. "I missed you too, Naruto-kun."

"So what did you do during the break?" he asked. "Did you learn anything cool?"

Before Hinata had a chance to answer, Iruka cleared his throat. Naruto turned around to look at his teacher. Iruka was glaring at him, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Naruto!" he yelled. "This is not the time for talking. The class has started."

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," he apologized again. "I'll be quiet."

Naruto mimed zipping his mouth closed. He heard a few other children laughing at him. Iruka sighed and shook his head before continuing with the lecture.

"We'll talk during lunch, okay?" he whispered to Hinata. She responded with only a short nod.

Naruto settled back in his chair and tried to focus on Iruka. He was glad to be back in school. His summer had been... strange.

After that first dinner with Sasuke's family, he had spent more and more time at their house. Almost every morning, Naruto had gone to the Uchiha compound for training and lunch.

However, a few times he had stayed behind to relax with Sasuke or to help Sasuke's mother. She had started teaching him some of her recipes. She was a patient teacher, making sure he knew everything about the ingredients and tools of the kitchen. For some reason, she had laughed hysterically when Naruto said his favorite food was ramen. While Naruto's cooking was not on her level yet, it was better than anything he had made from scratch before.

Sasuke's father had been similarly kind. The first time Naruto had seen the man, stern and wearing his police uniform, he had felt cold sweat running down his back. He had expected the man to despise him. However, he seemed curious more than anything about Naruto, asking him questions about his training and skills.

The member of the Uchiha family Naruto understood the least was Itachi. Sasuke's older brother was only a year or two older than Fuu but acted like a man the same age as Han. He was quiet and rarely talked to Sasuke and even less often to Naruto. Sasuke looked up to Itachi, often asking him to spend time with them. Despite Sasuke's pleas, however, Itachi never stayed for longer than a meal and a short conversation.

After spending so much time in Sasuke's house, Naruto almost felt like he had yet another adoptive family. _Too bad Sasuke is kind of a jerk, though._

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as the bell rang to start their lunch break. "We're gonna go eat outside. Wanna join?"

Sasuke blinked at Naruto, turning his gaze between him and Hinata. He shook his head. "I'm fine. You two have lunch without me."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll have more fun without you, ya know."

"Fine."

"Fine!" _He's such a jerk!_

Naruto huffed and stomped out of the classroom. Hinata followed behind him. They walked outside and sat down together under the shade of a large tree. Naruto muttered under his breath about jerks and Sasuke.

"Why did you invite Sasuke-kun to eat with us, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, taking a small bento box out and setting it on the ground.

"We trained together during the summer," Naruto explained. "And we always got lunch after training. I guess he thinks that now that we're back at the Academy, he doesn't want to spend time with me anymore."

He put his chin on his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs in a hug. He had thought that after spending so much time together, they had become friends. _I guess he only wanted me as a training partner._

"Oh," Hinata whispered. She pushed her fingertips together in a now-familiar gesture. "So you trained together during the summer? Did you learn anything new?"

Although Naruto knew that Hinata was only trying to distract him, he grinned and nodded his head, already more cheerful.

"Yeah, we practiced a lot!" he bragged. "And his family is really cool! Cooler than Sasuke, even! His mom showed me a neat trick with shuriken. And a new taijutsu move!"

"New taijutsu?" Hinata asked. "Can I see?"

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically. He stood up, already feeling happier. "Yeah! Watch this!"

With no hesitation, he began an elaborate taijutsu kata. It was more complex than anything Iruka or the other jinchuuriki had taught him. According to Sasuke's mother, it was most suitable for people with high endurance and flexibility. He ended the routine with a high kick.

Hinata clapped her hands at the end, eyes shining with happiness at the display. "That was really cool, Naruto-kun!" she said.

Naruto giggled. "Thanks!" he said. "It took me a long time to learn. Maybe three weeks or so?" He scratched his chin in contemplation before he remembered something else. "Oh! And you were doing a lot of training too, right Hinata-chan?" he asked. "What cool things did you learn?"

To Naruto's surprise, instead of bragging about cool clan jutsu like Sasuke always did, she flinched. She bit her lip and looked down at the ground, her hands on her lap. Her gaze hardened as if she was trying not to cry.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?" he asked, sitting next to her and looking into her face.

"It's just..." she kept her eyes focused away from him.

"Just what?" he asked.

She swallowed before speaking again, voice softer than he's heard before. "I'm not as good as you," she confessed. "My father is always disappointed because I'm very weak and slow."

"Your father?" Naruto clenched his fists, outraged on Hinata's behalf.

Hinata nodded. "I get tired very quickly, so I can't practice for long," she continued. "My cousin is only a year older and he can already do so much. He's one of the best we've ever seen in the Hyuuga clan."

"I see," Naruto said, lost for words. He didn't know what he could say to make her feel better. They sat in silence, side by side, lost in their own thoughts.

"Wait! I have an idea!" Naruto leaned forward to meet Hinata's eyes, a grin on his face.

"An idea?" she repeated uncertainly.

"Yeah!" Naruto yelled. "You can train with me and Sasuke after school! We always go to the training area and spar there. I've gotten loads better with that! Maybe you can tag along, too!"

"M-me?" she stuttered, blushing pink. "But... I don't think Sasuke-kun likes me. He said no when you asked to eat lunch together."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about him," he said. "Sasuke is just a jerk, but he's the kind of jerk that will do anything to get stronger."

"Are you sure?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I'm sure," he said confidently. "I'll talk to him after school and then you can come with us tomorrow, ya know. And that way, you can ask for permission too, right? From your cousin or whatever?"

"Y-yeah," she said. Despite her stutter, she appeared confident and happy with the plan. She sat up straighter.

"I'll ask my mother and father for permission tonight," she continued. "If they say it's okay, I'll go with you two for extra sparring."

"Great!" Naruto said, grinning. Hinata returned the smile nervously.

"Thanks for the meal." Hinata clapped her hands together before opening her bento box. Naruto's heart sank into his stomach.

"Argh!" he shouted. "I forgot to make myself lunch! I was just running out of my apartment!"

"Oh, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, looking genuinely sorry for him. "I can share some of my food with you. My mother always packs more than necessary."

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," he said with a sigh. "You're a lifesaver."

Together, they bent over the bento box. They were ready to eat when someone interrupted them.

"Hey, loser," Sasuke said, walking toward them. "Forgot your food?"

Naruto glared at him. _Did he come here just to make fun of me?_ "What's it to ya?" he asked with a grimace.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. To Naruto's surprise, instead of leaving or saying anything else, he sat down next to Naruto, putting his own bento next to Hinata's. Naruto's mouth watered at the sight. _Uchiha-san's cooking!_

"I realized you probably forgot to bring food," Sasuke explained. "You can share some of mine. You'd be a terrible training partner if you're hungry. Just don't eat everything."

Before he could think twice about it, he hugged Sasuke, throwing him down on the ground.

"Thank you, Sasuke!" he said, beaming. "Maybe you're not as much of a jerk as I thought."

"Get off of me!" Sasuke said, pushing him away and sitting back up. "And what do you mean, not as much?"

Naruto giggled, refusing to answer Sasuke's question. With Hinata and Sasuke's food, it was more than enough for the three of them. They dug in. Hinata's food was as good as it looked and Sasuke's mother was the best cook Naruto knew. It was easily one of the best meals he'd ever had.

While Naruto and Hinata talked, Sasuke was silent, eating by himself as he stared into the distance. However, Naruto could tell that he was listening to their conversation. _It's all about how he sits._

When they finished, they sat together, enjoying the shade of the tree.

"Oh, yeah, Sasuke," Naruto said, turning to his friend. "Hinata wants to get stronger, so I invited her over for training."

"Invited?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow before turning to look at Hinata critically. She blushed and looked away under his intense gaze.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yes," he said. "I invited her. She says she wants to train more. Isn't that right, Hinata-chan?" She nodded her head hesitantly.

Sasuke's eyebrows contracted into a frown. "Are you sure you can keep up with us?" he asked. "We spend at least three hours training after school."

Hinata bit her lip and blushed. Her eyes become shiny and Naruto could tell that she was tempted to deny the invitation.

"She'll be fine!" Naruto insisted, grabbing onto her shoulder. She startled at the sudden touch. "Besides, the only way to get better is to practice, ya know!"

"I suppose," Sasuke answered skeptically. His frown remained, but he looked at Hinata more thoughtfully. "My father did say that the Hyuuga clan has a different fighting style."

Naruto poked Hinata's shoulder. She jumped before nodding at the implied question.

"Yes," she said. "I've been learning the first steps of the Gentle Fist technique. It's... a kekkei genkai in my clan."

"In that case, you might as well come," Sasuke said. He started to walk away without them. "My brother says I should try sparring with more than one person, anyway."

He left Hinata and Naruto without saying anything else. They watched him walk away. Naruto turned his gaze back to Hinata with a grin.

"So, yeah," he said. "Ask your parents if you can come train with us! Sasuke is kind of a jerk, but he's a good training partner. You can practice what you learned with us!"

Hinata nodded. She still looked nervous, but the fear from before was gone. With Sasuke's approval, he couldn't imagine any excuse for her to say no. They sat and talked for a few more minutes until it was time to return to class.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Her family was eating dinner together in silence. Hinata hesitated. She fidgeted with her chopsticks, turning her gaze to look between her parents.

Her father had his eyes closed. He took a bite of food and chewed thoughtfully. Her mother focused on Hanabi, trying to teach her how to use chopsticks correctly. Hanabi only seemed interested in grabbing the food with her hands, however, stubborn as always.

Hinata looked at her parents and sister before turning around to look at the branch family members. They stood against the walls, silent guards and servants. She swallowed and gathered her courage.

"Father," she began. She swallowed again as she forced herself to stop fidgeting with her chopsticks.

"What is it?" he asked, not opening his eyes. His indifference made her feel smaller than usual.

Hinata swallowed to gather her courage. "One of my friends asked me if I wanted to do some training and sparring after school with him," she said.

Her father finally opened his eyes to look at her. Her mother stopped trying to force Hanabi to use chopsticks to look at Hinata, eyes opened wide. Only Hanabi remained focused on her task, shoveling food into her mouth as fast as she could.

"After the Academy hours, I presume?" her father asked. For the first time in a very long time, his attention was fully focused on her.

Hinata nodded. "My friend... um... always did some training with one of his friends after school. He asked me if I wanted to meet with them."

"Who is this friend, Hinata?" her mother asked. "I don't think you've really mentioned any friends from the Academy before."

Hinata hesitated. She didn't want to tell them about Naruto. Ko's reaction was enough for her to know what they would think.

"It's with Sasuke Uchiha," she lied. "We talked during lunch about training together."

"Sasuke Uchiha?" her father asked, eyebrows raised. "He invited _you_?"

Hinata thought Naruto would have been insulted on her behalf by his tone. She bit her lip and nodded, not wanting to say anything else. She looked up at her father. Her heart beat faster in anticipation of his answer._ Please say yes, father._

After what felt like an eternity, he nodded and Hinata felt the tension release from her shoulders.

"Additional training sessions with a member of the Uchiha clan could be useful," he said, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"Thank you, Father," she said, trying not to show how overjoyed she was at his approval.

He stared down at her. "Make sure not to bring shame to our clan," he ordered.

She bit her lip and nodded. She knew Sasuke and Naruto were both much more talented than she was. She just hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself _too _much.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke stared at the girl in front of him. She had walked to the training area with Naruto after class ended. Now, she stood shyly behind him as if his presence was enough to shield her from anything, avoiding Sasuke's gaze.

"G-good afternoon, Sasuke-kun," she said. "H-how are you?"

"Fine," Sasuke said. _She can't even speak properly. I should have told Naruto to practice with her alone._

At his curt tone, she shied back farther behind Naruto, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. Sasuke frowned. _You can't become a shinobi if you're afraid all the time._

"Oh! So how are we gonna break up the fights?" Naruto asked with a grin, ignoring the tense atmosphere completely.

"I don't know," Sasuke said with a shrug. "Two against one?"

"That's not fair!" Naruto protested. "It's Hinata-chan's first time with us! We should take turns!"

"Hn, fine," Sasuke said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Who is first?"

"I don't know." Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Why not?" he asked. "The loser has to sit out and watch the first match."

"Sure!" Naruto gave him a thumbs up.

Naruto pulled on Hinata's hand so the three of them were standing in a circle. They played the game. To Sasuke's dismay, Naruto lost, making the first match of the afternoon a spar between Sasuke and Hinata._ I guess I'll have to take it easy for now._

"Yeah! You can do it, Hinata-chan!" Naruto cheered. Hinata only looked more unsure of herself and she fidgeted, pushing her fingertips together.

"I-I'm not sure if I can be a good opponent, Naruto-kun," she admitted. _We haven't even started training, and she already looks like she's ready to cry._

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan," Naruto reassured her. "You're really strong and cool too!"

To Sasuke's surprise, she nodded and stood up straighter. She walked to the center of the training arena and bowed her head down respectfully. Sasuke copied her, bowing down to her in return._ I'll try not to make you cry at least._

Their spar began. Sasuke pushed her back first, not wanting to finish the match until he understood her fighting style. She stepped back, keeping her hands held in front of her. Her stance was weak, and he saw many openings to attack. He sighed to himself in annoyance. _Why did Naruto have to lose the game?_

"Are you even taking this seriously?" he asked. She flinched and stared at him.

"W-what do you mean?" she stuttered.

"Come at me with everything you got!" he said, unable to keep his frustration from bleeding into his voice. "If you're not going to fight back, you might as well go home."

"Hey! Don't be a jerk to Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled. "She's trying her best, ya know!"

"Naruto..." Hinata turned to look at her friend for a few seconds before her eyes refocused on Sasuke. To Sasuke's delight, her previous weakness was gone, and she stood straight, her arms held in front of her.

Sasuke smirked. _That's more like it._

"You still can't beat me!" Sasuke taunted. She only stared at him. While he still saw a hint of nervousness, her eyes were full of determination.

He lunged to attack. It was a sure hit to her shoulder. It was a move that had allowed him to defeat Naruto more times than he could count. However, at the last second, she stepped to the side and hit his arm with an open palm.

Instantly, pain coursed up and down his arm and he screamed at the sensation. Sasuke fell to the ground, grabbing at his wounded arm. It was the worst pain he'd ever felt, even more than when he accidentally cut open the palm of his hand with a kunai. Within seconds, both Naruto and Hinata were at his sides. He tried to stand up by himself but he could only writhe in pain.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, panicked. "Your arm looks okay, Sasuke. did it really hurt so much?"

Sasuke nodded and gritted his teeth. "It hurts," he said. "What did she do?" Sasuke suppressed a second scream at the pain.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hinata repeated the words as she dug into her bag in search of something. She handed a small tub full of ointment over to him.

To Sasuke's surprise, she was sobbing. "Here is a healing ointment from our clan," she said through her tears. "It will help with the pain."

Sasuke swallowed down another scream as he took the tub with his healthy hand. He rubbed the ointment over his arm. Almost immediately, the pain lessened, but he still couldn't move his arm well. He breathed out sharply through his mouth. He forced himself to swallow and to breathe again, more slowly through his nose. He looked at his arm, unresponsive and useless, and gritted his teeth. Naruto sat next to Sasuke, face ashen.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said, tears streaming down her face. "I used too much chakra in my attack. It was only supposed to sting a little."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto grabbing onto her hand in silent support. Sasuke shook his head. With her medicine, his arm was already beginning to return to normal.

"No," Sasuke said. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have underestimated you." _My mother is always telling me off me about that._

"Huh?" Hinata stopped sobbing to stare at him in confusion. She wiped her tears away with her forearm.

"You won fair and square," he admitted. "It's going to heal, right?"

"R-right," she said. "I'm very sorry, Sasuke-kun."

"Don't be," Sasuke said. He tried to stand. To his relief, Naruto helped him up. "I asked you to take the fight seriously, and you did."

"I-I..." she swallowed, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I guess. I'm still very sorry, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke shrugged. "I'll be fine. I guess Naruto was right about you being stronger than you look, though."

Hinata turned a bright red. She hid her face behind the palms of her hands and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. You are very kind."

_I think that's the first time anyone's ever said that to me._

Sasuke grunted. "Hn. I can't fight in this condition. I'll practice throwing shuriken instead. You and Naruto can spar."

Naruto laughed, helping Hinata stand up as well. "Just don't hit me like you hit Sasuke, ya know!"

Hinata shook her head. "I won't," she promised. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were puffy, but she had stopped crying.

For the rest of their training session, Sasuke watched them spar and compare katas while he threw shuriken one-handed. After Sasuke's praise, she was much less nervous, although her posture was still unsure.

Sasuke looked down at his wounded arm._ Maybe she's not so weak after all._

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Hinata is really cute, okay? If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites. You can send me weird questions.**

**Next chapter: Utakata gets some unexpected news.**


	24. Celebrate Good Times

**In which Naruto gets a big surprise and Utakata tries to be cool.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

After that initial fight with Sasuke, Naruto always invited Hinata to their training sessions.

While Hinata was not as fast or strong as Sasuke, her fighting style meant Naruto was constantly dodging her attacks. When she did manage to hit him, it was enough to take him out. Even with the power of the Kyuubi, it took his body a few minutes to heal the damage. The best solution was to simply avoid her strikes entirely.

He could tell that Sasuke liked her company, too. At the very least, he had taken to joining them for lunch every once in a while. Unlike with Naruto, however, he had no disparaging nickname for her.

"Oof! I'm beat!" Naruto yelled as he collapsed onto the grass. He had been sparring non-stop since the Academy let out. A short distance away, Hinata and Sasuke sat down, also exhausted.

"Finished already, loser?" Sasuke asked with a smirk. Naruto might have found his words more threatening if he weren't struggling to breathe.

Naruto smirked back. "I could do this all day, ya know."

Hinata giggled but said nothing. Naruto closed his eyes as he relaxed on the grass, cradling his head between the palms of his hands. Together, the three of them quieted down as they allowed their breathing to get back in order. No one spoke and Naruto allowed the peace and quiet to settle over him like a security blanket. _This is nice._

To his surprise, it was Sasuke who broke the silence first. "Hey, loser," he said.

Naruto turned to him with a frown. "What do you want, jerk?"

"My mother asked me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow," he said. "And to spend the night. She said that I am to do anything to convince you."

Naruto frowned in confusion. "Spend the night?" he asked. While Sasuke's mother had invited him over for dinner a few times, she hadn't insisted that he stay overnight. "Why does she want me to stay over?"

Sasuke shrugged, face deliberately neutral. "I don't know," he said. "I think she wants to celebrate Itachi's promotion. He's a jounin now."

"Wait, really? Already?" Naruto sat up to stare incredulously at Sasuke. Fuu was only one or two years younger than Itachi and only a genin. He also remembered Utakata and Yugito becoming jounin when they were fifteen or sixteen years old._ I guess Itachi must be really talented._

"Yes," Sasuke nodded, looking both proud and jealous. "He's twelve."

"Twelve?" Naruto repeated, surprised. _And I thought Fuu was cool for becoming a genin at ten!_

"But that's not the point," Sasuke said, trying to refocus the conversation. "My mother wants you to come over."

"Me?" Naruto pointed to himself, confused. He had never thought Itachi particularly cared about him enough to invite him to a party.

"She also wants me to invite you," he continued, turning his gaze to Hinata.

"Me too?" she asked, surprised.

"You need to ask for permission first though, right?" Sasuke asked.

"But... why me?" she asked. "I don't think I've ever met your brother..." She pushed the tips of her fingertips together.

Sasuke leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said, Hinata's eyes widened and she grinned.

"I'm not sure if I can go, but I'll ask for permission," she said, a smile on her face. "If I can't, I'll send a present with you."

Naruto scowled in confusion. _What the heck did just Sasuke tell her?_

Sasuke nodded at her words and stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "Well, I should go home," he said, pointedly ignoring Naruto's scowl. "See you later, Hinata-san, loser."

"See you later, jerk," Naruto said.

"See you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said.

Without any other words, Sasuke walked away.

Copying Sasuke, Hinata stood up and stretched her arms in front of her. She extended a hand down to help Naruto stand up. Grateful, Naruto took her hand.

"So what did Sasuke tell you?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing important," she answered with an enigmatic smile. "Just that he needs more people to make it a real party."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion. He shook his head. He exchanged farewells with Hinata before walking back home. _I guess I'll see what the heck they were talking about later._

**O-O-O-O-O**

"We're almost there," Sasuke said as the three of them neared the entrance to the Uchiha quarters.

Naruto and Hinata hummed in assent. While he already knew the journey like the back of his hand, it was Hinata's first time visiting the Uchiha compound. To their relief, she had received permission to walk with them after the Academy ended, so long as she was by the gate before sundown. While Naruto was disappointed she would leave the celebration early, it was a small price to pay for her company.

"This way," Sasuke said as they walked through the entrance and into the compound. Within a few minutes, they arrived at Sasuke's house.

"Mom! I'm home!" Sasuke yelled as he took his shoes off at the entrance.

"Welcome home, Sasuke!" Sasuke's mother stuck her head out. She smiled when she saw that both Naruto and Hinata were there. "And you brought your friends, too!"

"They're just my training partners," Sasuke muttered, although he didn't seem particularly bothered by her words.

His mother sighed good-naturedly before walking to stand in front of Naruto and Hinata. She turned her gaze to Hinata first.

"Good afternoon, you must be Hinata Hyuuga," she said. "My name is Mikoto Uchiha. It's very nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Uchiha-san," Hinata said with a bow of her head. "Thank you very much for inviting me into your home. It's lovely."

_Hinata is so polite._ Sasuke's mother turned her gaze over to Naruto. She smiled when she saw the large backpack slung on his back. "So you packed things to stay overnight, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Sasuke told me Itachi is a jounin now and we have to celebrate!"

She covered her mouth as she chuckled. "Well, we are always happy to have you over," she said.

Naruto felt his face flush. He focused his eyes on his sandals as he took them off. He didn't know if he would ever get used to her being nice to him. At his side, Hinata also took off her shoes. Together, they donned slippers and stepped inside.

"Would you three like something to eat while we wait for your father and Itachi to arrive?" she asked as she led them to the dining area. "Or drink?"

"Tomatoes?" Sasuke asked, trying to look nonchalant. Naruto almost rolled his eyes. _That guy is obsessed with those stupid things._

"Sure, Sasuke," she said with a bemused smile. "I'll cut up some fruit and tomatoes for you three. Just wait."

She left them as she walked to the kitchen. Silently, the three of them moved to the low table. Without weapons or fists in the way, they stared at each other awkwardly, wondering what to talk about.

"So... Itachi is already a jounin?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence.

Sasuke nodded. "A few weeks ago actually. They're already talking about him joining ANBU." The same as the day before, his voice emoted a combination of pride and jealousy.

"That sounds really cool, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said, trying to keep the conversation going.

"His brother is real scary, though," Naruto whispered to Hinata. "He always has this super serious look on his face, ya know."

"I heard that!" Sasuke said, sounding annoyed. Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. Hinata giggled.

"Here you go, kids," Sasuke's mother said as she set a plate full of snacks in front of them. "I'm going to go start on dinner. Call me if you need anything."

"Sure, Mom," Sasuke said.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san," Naruto and Hinata both said, nodding their heads in appreciation.

She smiled. "You're welcome, kids. Dinner shouldn't take too long."

**O-O-O-O-O**

With nothing else to do until dinner, the three of them decided to get started on their homework. To Naruto's dismay, both Hinata and Sasuke finished quickly, leaving Naruto behind as he struggled with math.

"You're supposed to multiply them, not add them!" Sasuke yelled.

He looked close to breaking as Naruto struggled with fractions. It was the most emotion he had seen in Sasuke's face for a while. Hinata suppressed a giggle at his reaction.

"Sorry, jerk," Naruto muttered as he erased his answer. "Guess I gotta follow your genius advice."

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort before huffing and looking away with a pout. That time, Hinata couldn't suppress her laughter and she snorted. Naruto grinned at her as he wrote the correct answer down. _We should do homework together more often. His reactions are hilarious._

Naruto continued going through the problems with Hinata's help when they heard a sound at the door. Broken out of his sulking, Sasuke sat up straight and smiled.

"Father is home!" he said, sounding excited. Without waiting for them, he walked away toward the front door.

_I'll finish this later._ Naruto closed his notebook. He stood up, walking side by side with Hinata to meet with Sasuke. When they arrived at the entrance, Sasuke was waiting for his father's attention as the man took his shoes off.

"Welcome home, Father," Sasuke said.

"Thank you Sasuke," he grunted, not looking in Sasuke's direction.

"Welcome home, Uchiha-san," Naruto said as he walked closer. While the man was not as scary as the first time they met, there was still something intimidating about him.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," he said. His gaze turned from Naruto to Hinata, who stood next to him. She fidgeted slightly as she bowed her head down deeply.

"Good evening, Uchiha-san," she said. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."

Sasuke's father nodded his head. "My name is Fugaku Uchiha," he said. "The pleasure is all mine."

With the formalities out of the way, he stepped inside. The three of them followed after him like a line of ducklings.

"Welcome home, Fugaku," Sasuke's mother said while stirring something on the stove. "Dinner will only take a few more minutes."

"Of course, Mikoto," he said. "I brought what you asked for, too."

Without another word, he placed a box carefully on the kitchen counter. Naruto looked at it. Something important must have been inside because Sasuke's father put it far away from the edges.

"Thank you, Fugaku! We'll need that for later," Sasuke's mother said. She smiled, eyes bright and cheerful. Sasuke's father only nodded in return. He turned his gaze back to the children following behind him.

"I will take off my uniform," he said. "Help your mother set the table."

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, Father."

Satisfied, his father walked away while the three children headed to the dining room. Working together, they cleared the table of their homework. Naruto moved his backpack to Sasuke's room and took the opportunity to use the toilet. When he returned, Hinata and Sasuke had finished setting the table. They sat side by side whispering to each other. They stopped when they saw Naruto standing by the entrance.

"Oh, Naruto! Hello!" Hinata said. Naruto frowned.

"What were you two talking about?" he asked as he sat down next to Hinata, putting her in the middle.

"Oh, nothing important," Hinata said easily, an honest smile on her face. Naruto's frown deepened. _There's something going on. I can feel it._

"Dinner is ready!" Sasuke's mother said as she stepped into the dining room, arms full of food. She set the dishes down at the table. Naruto felt himself drool at the sight.

"Mom, where is Itachi?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, he said he had some work down at the Hokage's office," she said, waving her hand. "He sent me a message saying that we could start without him." She returned to the kitchen to pick up more dishes.

Naruto's frown deepened._ I thought this was to celebrate Itachi's promotion. _His hunch that something strange was going to happen intensified. He glared at Sasuke and Hinata, daring either of them to crack, but their faces were impassive.

"It smells good," Sasuke's father commented as he walked inside. He had changed from his armor into a more casual yukata.

"I tried to make something for everyone," Sasuke's mother said as she set more dishes on the table. She returned to the kitchen.

Sasuke's father hummed in agreement. He sat down at the table, directly in front of Sasuke. Sasuke fidgeted marginally at the attention as he straightened his back. In the middle, Hinata knelt unflinchingly, perfectly poised and disciplined. Naruto copied them, although he was sure that he's moving too much to be anywhere near their level.

Sasuke's mother returned, holding the mysterious box from earlier. She placed it at the center of the table. Naruto's eyes immediately gravitated toward it. _I wonder what's inside._

She sat down, next to Sasuke's father and in front of Naruto. She gave him a smile. Naruto relaxed. Her presence was always enough to calm him down.

"Thank you for the meal, Mikoto," Sasuke's father said with a nod of his head.

Her smile widened. "You're welcome! Now, before we start, I'd just like to say a few words."

Naruto waited patiently for her to speak before he started eating. To his surprise, instead of saying something about Itachi and his promotion, her eyes turned to Naruto. The other people at the table followed her lead as everyone focused on him. Naruto fidgeted again.

"Happy birthday!" she said with a grin. She took the lid off of the box. Inside was a cake. On the top Naruto could read the words 'Happy Birthday!' written in frosting.

Around the table, the others clapped their hands as they congratulated him. Naruto felt his face heat up and he looked down at his knees. _It's my birthday!? Did I forget again?_

"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun!" Hinata said from his side, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Oh... uh... thanks," Naruto whispered, keeping his eyes focused anywhere but the people congratulating him. Hinata broke the hug to sit back on her seat cushion. She beamed at him. Naruto returned the smile uncertainly. I_ guess this explains a lot._

He turned his gaze back to Sasuke's parents. Sasuke's mother was smiling while his father maintained the same serious expression. However, he could tell that the man was mildly amused based on the look in his eyes. On Hinata's side, Sasuke rolled his eyes. His reaction was enough to snap Naruto out of his shock.

"Thank you very much," he said. He bowed his head down to Sasuke's parents. "I've never... uh... had a birthday party before." _Well, not in the physical world at least._

Her eyes softened. "It's always a good time to celebrate," she said. "I hope we can spend many more birthdays together."

Naruto nodded his head, lost for words. He felt his throat getting choked up and his eyes filling with tears. He clenched his hands into fists. He pushed his emotions back and forced a smile on his face.

"Thank you very much, Uchiha-san," he said. "I really appreciate it, ya know!"

"You're welcome, Naruto-kun," she said. "Now, without any further ado, let's eat!"

Relieved to have something to do, Naruto started on his meal. It was as good as he had expected. At his side, Hinata ate slowly, taking little bites, graceful as always.

As soon as they finished eating, Sasuke's mother cleared the table. She returned from the kitchen with a knife, a lighter, and a camera. She lit a candle at the center of the cake, pushing it so that it was in front of Naruto.

"Make a wish! Blow out the candle, Naruto-kun!" she ordered as she gave the camera to Sasuke's father. He began to take pictures, keeping the same serious expression.

Unsure, Naruto blew out the flame before realizing his mistake. _Wait! I forgot to make a wish! _He almost begged to light the candle again, but Sasuke would make fun of him forever if he did.

He let her take the cake away as she cut it into neat little pieces. She handed the first slice to Naruto before giving a piece to Hinata and then to Sasuke. Finally, she served herself and her husband small slices.

"Would you like some milk to go along with the cake?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, sure," Naruto muttered as he glared at the cake in front of him.

"Please, Uchiha-san," Hinata said.

"Yes, Mom," Sasuke added.

She left and returned holding three glasses and a carton full of milk. She started serving them. Without any further hesitation, Sasuke dug into his dessert while Hinata took little bites at his side. Naruto followed their lead as he tasted cake for the first time in his life. At once, his eyes brightened and he hummed in happiness. _Wow! So this is what a cake is like!_

He ate his dessert quickly, talking and laughing with Hinata and Sasuke about whatever came to mind. Occasionally, Sasuke's mother or father asked them to pause for a picture or asked them questions about their training. They answered honestly, talking about taijutsu and shuriken training.

"I should leave," Hinata said once she finished eating her slice. "Ko is probably already waiting at the entrance."

"I see," Sasuke's mother said. "Fugaku can walk you there. It's safe in the compound but you never know."

"Thank you very much, Uchiha-san." Hinata stood up gracefully. She bowed her head down deeply to Sasuke's parents. They returned her greeting with nods of their heads. She turned her attention back to Naruto as she dug for something inside her pockets.

"Here, I bought something for you, Naruto-kun," she said. "It's not much, but I hope you like it."

She placed a small box inside his hands. Naruto was overwhelmed with emotion once again. Blushing he bowed his head to Hinata in gratitude.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan, you're the best," he said. Hinata smiled at him, her cheeks tinted with pink.

"Come, Hyuuga-san," Sasuke's father said as he stood up and walked away. "I'll escort you to the entrance."

"Thank you very much," she said. She turned her head to smile at Naruto and Sasuke in turn. She waved goodbye. She walked away, leaving Naruto, Sasuke, and his mother in the dining room.

"Well, I guess I should clean up," Sasuke's mother said. She began to pick up the remaining dirty dishes.

"I'll help!" Naruto declared as he stood up, empty plate in his hands. He started to pick up everything.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," she said. "Could you please find the second futon? It should be in the linen closet of my room. Set if up for Naruto-kun, please."

Sasuke nodded and left his mother and Naruto to their tasks. Together, they piled all the dirty dishes together and took them to the kitchen sink. At once, she got started on her task, her back turned to him. With nothing to do, Naruto stared at her, unsure of what to say.

_I should thank her again. Yugito and Mama would never forgive me if I didn't say anything._ He swallowed to gather his courage. He stood at her side.

"Oh... uh... Uchiha-san," he began. She paused at her task and stared down at him, drying her hands on her apron.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" she asked. She looked at him with a smile that made his stomach twist in some indescribable emotion. She tilted her head to the side as she waited for him to speak.

"I just wanted to say, th-than-," he felt the words catch in his throat.

To his extreme embarrassment, he felt tears rolling down his face. He wiped at his crying eyes, ashamed of his weakness. He tried to rein back the tears, but the buildup of emotion only increased. Before he could do anything, he started to cry, sobbing pathetically as he stared at the floor. He hoped Sasuke would take a long time setting up the futon or he would never live it down.

"Th-thank you," he managed to say through his tears. "You're very kind to me." He bowed his head.

Immediately, she knelt in front of him, making him flinch back at the sudden closeness. She wiped his face with the sleeve of her dress.

"It's okay, Naruto, you don't have to say anything," she said. He didn't know if he was imagining that her eyes were shinier than usual or not.

She pulled him into a hug, pressing his face onto her shoulder. He considered fighting it, but the need for comfort was too strong. She held onto him for a few seconds as he let his tears out of his system. For the first time in a very long time, he wished more than anything that his mother had never died in the Kyuubi attack. _Is this what having a mother is like?_

Eventually, he took a step back, embarrassed. It was bad enough to need comfort from the other jinchuuriki, who had known him since he was a baby. Being comforted by Sasuke's mother was a different level of embarrassment. He wiped his runny nose and his eyes with his sleeve.

"Thank you," he said when they broke apart, although she kept a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm not a baby anymore, ya know."

She smiled, eyes looking sad for a reason he couldn't explain. "It's fine, Naruto-kun. Enjoy being a child. The opportunities to cry will be few and far between once you get older."

Naruto grunted in assent. He forced a grin on his face. Part of him still wanted to keep his arms wrapped around her shoulders, but he held back. "Thank you very much... Auntie."

He bit his lip, waiting to see if she would resent her new name, but she smiled instead.

"I'm glad I got to know you, Naruto-kun," she said.

She took a towel and cleaned his face. Naruto let her without any complaints. He knew how obvious it would be to Sasuke and his father that he had been crying. He hoped Sasuke wouldn't lord over him for _too _long about it.

"Hey, Mom, I found the futon," Sasuke said as he stepped into the kitchen. Naruto turned his face away while she returned to the kitchen sink. _He already makes fun of me for so many things. Crying at my own birthday party will just be the worst one yet._

"Good," she said. She had her back turned to them as she washed the dishes. "You two should take a bath while I finish cleaning up. Since you don't have school tomorrow, you two can stay up late if you wish."

"Sure, Mom," Sasuke said. To Naruto's dismay, Sasuke turned his attention toward Naruto, who was trying to keep his face hidden away.

"Hey, loser," he said. Naruto flinched and Sasuke's mother sighed. "You heard Mom, go take a bath. You stink."

"What'd you say to me, jerk?" Naruto retorted, turning his angry gaze to Sasuke.

Sasuke blinked in surprise when he saw Naruto's face. However, he said nothing disparaging, even though it was obvious Naruto had been crying not too long ago.

"The water is already hot," Sasuke said, skillfully not talking about the state of Naruto's face.

"Sure," Naruto muttered. "I'll go." He turned his gaze back to Sasuke's mother one more time. He bowed. "Thank you very much for the cake and dinner, Auntie."

She chuckled. "It was the least we could do, Naruto-kun." She returned to her task at the sink.

Naruto followed Sasuke to get ready for bed. Once they had changed into pajamas, they spent the next few hours arguing about their homework. They stayed up, yelling at each other, until Sasuke's mother came inside and ordered them, calmly yet firmly, to go to sleep.

With grunts of annoyance, they crawled into their separate futons and turned off the lights. Naruto lay awake, trying to fall asleep. He wanted to join the Room and have a second birthday celebration there. He was starting to doze off when Sasuke spoke up.

"Hey, loser," Sasuke muttered.

"What?" Naruto's heart beat faster as he worried Sasuke would make fun of him for crying earlier.

"Happy birthday," he said.

Naruto stared at him in shock before he giggled. "Thanks, jerk."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he turned his back to Naruto. Naruto kicked him, causing the other boy to groan in annoyance.

Naruto giggled again as he stared up at the ceiling. _Sasuke is not so bad, ya know._ A few minutes later, he had fallen asleep.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Outside of the testing room, Harusame sat, exuding poise and calm. Utakata waited at his side, appearing equally relaxed.

Inside, however, his heart threatened to beat out of his chest._ Is Kimimaro ready? Is he prepared to be a genin? What if he doesn't meet the minimum benchmarks?_

For the past few months, he had been getting to know Kimimaro more and more. While at first he had been shy, never speaking unless spoken to first, the boy had become much more confident. While still reserved, he was less afraid to speak or to show his emotions.

Haku's company had been a major influence as well. After that incidental meet-up, the other boy had visited the estate a few times. He was kind and patient, allowing Kimimaro to relax and smile. While the two spent their time apart from Utakata, he had seen them together gathering flowers and chatting.

Haku had also helped Kimimaro with his academic work. While his jutsu skills were amazing, he struggled with reading and writing. He often became embarrassed whenever he couldn't immediately understand something. However, Haku helped him, explaining things slowly and clearly.

After months of training and practice, Utakata had finally recommended Kimimaro for graduation. The Mizukage had agreed with a grin. The very next day, she had ordered Utakata to take Kimimaro to the testing center for his graduation exam.

Kimimaro had gone alone into the testing room, face impassive except for a small frown. Utakata and Harusame had wished him luck, telling him they would wait outside. While Utakata had not been nervous at first, as the clock ticked by, he couldn't help but worry about his student. _Is he ready? He's only nine!_

Since he couldn't do anything, he waited outside, the only sign of anxiety being his twitching eye. After what felt like days, the door to the examination room opened. Utakata and Harusame immediately turned their heads to look.

One of the instructors from the Academy was at the door, Kimimaro at his heels. Utakata's eyes immediately gravitated to his student, looking for signs of distress or disappointment. Instead, he saw only happiness, excitement, and a Kirigakure hitai-ate held inside his hand.

A wave of relief and pride washed over Utakata as he walked, intentionally slowly, toward his student. Harusame followed a short distance behind him, a happy smile on his face.

"So you passed?" Utakata asked although the answer was obvious.

Kimimaro nodded his head. "Yes, sensei. It was easier than I expected."

"Good job," Utakata said. "I'm proud of you."

Before he could change his mind, he placed his hand on top of his student's head. Kimimaro blushed at the praise, staring down at the floor. Utakata wondered if he would ever get tired of the sight. Despite his earlier promise to look like a cool and intimating teacher, he grinned.

"How was the boy's performance?" Harusame asked the proctor.

"A true prodigy," the instructor answered, face serious. "His taijutsu skills were some of the best I've seen since a girl who graduated a few months ago. Only his academic skills leave any room to be desired. I can easily recommend him to begin active duty as a genin."

Harusame nodded. "That's good to know."

Without any other words, the instructor bowed his head down to Utakata and Harusame before turning around and leaving. They waited for him to be out of earshot before speaking again.

"How does it feel to be a genin, Kimimaro-kun?" Harusame asked. His eyes were kind and he offered the boy a congratulatory smile.

Kimimaro shrugged. "It feels the same, Harusame-sensei," he admitted. "I haven't really learned anything new."

"That means you're already well-skilled," Utakata said. "I'm not sure who your jounin instructor will be, but they will help you take your abilities to the next level."

"Jounin instructor?" Kimimaro asked, eyes wide and confused. Utakata cursed himself. _Did I forget to tell him about team assignments?_

"New genin are almost always put into groups of four," Utakata started to explain. "Three genin and one jounin. The teams do missions together and improve their skills until they are ready to become chuunin. However, you may stay as a genin for the rest of your life if you desire."

"Oh," Kimaro answered. He mulled over the explanation, a small and nervous frown on his face. _I guess he's worried about who else will be on his team._

"Don't fret about that for now, Kimimaro-kun," Harusame said once he saw the look on the boy's face. "No matter who your teammates are, you will always have us for help and advice. But it's also important to get outside of your comfort zone and meet new people, too."

Kimimaro looked at Harusame for a few seconds, processing his words, before nodding. With his master's reassurance, the boy already looked calmer. However, he still appeared nervous about the prospect of working with new people.

"We should celebrate," Utakata declared, trying to distract him. "It's not every day that someone becomes a genin."

Kimimaro stared up at him, eyes wide, before he nodded. "How do we celebrate?" he asked.

"Let's go out to eat," Utakata said. "Something fancier than usual."

"Like sashimi," Harusame added. "Or eel."

"Or eel," Utakata agreed. His mouth began to water at the thought of his favorite food. "You should decide though, Kimimaro."

Kimaro frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head. "I'm not sure, sensei," he said. "I don't mind."

Utakata shrugged. "We'll figure it out," he said. "Let's go."

Together, they left the Academy and headed outside. Harusame led them to the restaurant district, Utakata and Kimimaro falling behind him quietly. From the corner of his eye, Utakata saw Kimimaro throwing an occasional glance at the new hitai-ate clenched in his hand._ I wonder if he's ever gonna put it on._

"Here we are," Harusame said as they reached the end of the road. "I've heard good things about this place."

He stood outside of a large restaurant that seemed to specialize in seafood. Utakata's stomach growled in hunger. _The eel here is probably delicious._

They walked inside together. Harusame was looking for the host when a man wearing an expensive-looking yukata stepped in front of them, a furious scowl on his face.

"You can't come in here," the man declared.

"What? Why?" Harusame asked, taken aback by the interruption. "What have I done?"

The man shook his head. "Not you," he said. "Them." He pointed to where Utakata and Kimimaro stood side by side.

Kimimaro flinched and looked down at his feet. His face reddened in shame and his shoulders tensed. Utakata placed a hand on his shoulder, making the boy looked up at him. Utakata rolled his eyes and yawned, long used to cold treatment from the villagers. To his relief, the tension in Kimimaro's shoulders lessened and he stepped closer to Utakata's side.

Harusame glared at the man. "These two are shinobi of Kirigakure," he said, voice loud and thunderous. "You should be on your knees thanking them for their service, not turning them away."

_Actually, Kimimaro hasn't done any missions yet._

He left Kimimaro's side to walk toward Harusame, who looked seconds away from punching the man.

"Master," he began. "Don't worry about it. Let's find a different place. Somewhere better."

Harusame turned his gaze between Utakata and the man, grimacing. After a few tense seconds, he nodded and took a step back. Utakata led him out and Kimimaro followed at their heels, completely silent.

"They shouldn't treat you like that!" Harusame exploded in anger once they were outside.

Utakata shrugged. "It's fine, master. I'm used to it. It happens often enough, I don't even bother to argue with them."

Harusame sighed, frustrated, before he nodded his agreement. "Fine, let's try somewhere else."

Utakata grunted in assent and began to walk down the street in search of a more welcoming restaurant. He had taken only a few steps when a masked ANBU appeared in front of him.

"Good afternoon, Utakata-san," a soft feminine voice interrupted.

Utakata looked down. Whoever the ANBU was, he had never seen her before. She was tiny, possibly even shorter than Yagura. He wondered if he was talking to a child, but the voice sounded too mature to be that of anything but an adult.

He suppressed an annoyed sigh. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Mizukage-sama wishes to speak with you," she said. "It's urgent and you must go now."

That time, Utakata couldn't suppress his sigh of annoyance._ All I wanted to do was eat._ He turned around to look back at Harusame and Kimimaro, who were standing behind him.

"You two go on ahead," Utakata decided. "I'll join you for lunch later. I'm sure you can find a decent place to eat without me."

Harusame shook his head. "No, we'll go home and make something instead. I doubt Mizukage-sama will keep you long. By the time you get to the compound, food should be ready."

"All right," he answered. He bowed his head to his teacher and nodded at Kimimaro. "I will see you two soon," he said. "If the meeting takes longer than I expect, I will send a message."

"Okay, Utakata-kun," Harusame said. Kimimaro only nodded, still red-faced from their recent encounter at the restaurant.

Utakata turned back to the ANBU, who was patiently waiting for him. "Let's go," he said.

Without waiting any longer, they flickered away. They traveled on top of the roofs toward the Mizukage's office and entered through the window. As always, Mei was at her desk, Ao keeping a watchful eye over her from behind. Ameyuri and Zabuza were at her sides, ever vigilant. The ANBU agent flickered to stand behind the Mizukage and next to Ao.

"You wanted to speak with me, Mizukage-same?" Utakata began. He bent his head forward in a polite bow.

"Yes, I did," she answered. "I am to understand that Kimimaro has recently become a genin."

_Word travels fast._

Utakata nodded. "Yes. He seems very happy about the promotion."_ And nervous about having someone new as an instructor._

She smiled. "That's good to know. When we first found him, we were... unsure if he would be suited to serve as a shinobi of Kirigakure."

"I believe him ready, physically, intellectually, and emotionally," Utakata defended his student.

She nodded. "Well, now that he's a genin, he can receive a weekly stipend. We will help him find a place to live and he can move out from Harusame's estate in a few days."

"Wait? Move out?" Utakata's eyebrows contracted into a frown.

Mei stared at him for a second before nodding again. "Yes," she said. "He can live by himself in an apartment. We can search for somewhere suitable, although he is free to look for one himself if he so desires."

"But... he's only nine!" Utakata protested before he could stop himself.

The Mizukage and her guards stared at him, raising their eyebrows in surprise. With a lot of effort, Utakata managed to school his face into indifference.

"He's only nine," he repeated, calmer than before. "He is free to stay with us for the indefinite future. We don't mind his company."

"Aww, Zabuza-kun, isn't that cute?" Ameyuri said with a smirk. "I think Utakata-kun likes little Kimimaro. It reminds me of you and Haku-kun."

Zabuza laughed at her words while Mei's eyes crinkled happily. Ao actually smiled, tilting his head to the side. Only the ANBU remained unphased, her emotions hidden by her mask. Nevertheless, Utakata felt an aura of amusement in her body language. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

The Mizukage bit her lip to contain her giggles before speaking again. "That's not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about, Utakata-kun," she said. "If anything, I think this second thing is even more critical."

Utakata frowned as he felt a sense of foreboding building in his stomach. "What is it, Mizukage-sama?"

She grinned and the foreboding feeling intensified. "We haven't talked about Kimimaro's jounin sensei yet, have we?"

Utakata shook his head.

"Well, a while ago, we decided that if Kimimaro graduated before the start of winter, we would form a team with the most promising new shinobi of Kiri," she explained. Utakata nodded at her explanation._ It makes sense so far._

"Of course," she continued. "We had to think very carefully about who would be both strong enough to teach him, but also who needed more experience." Utakata felt a bead of sweat roll down his back.

"In the end, there is only one choice." Her grin widened. "We have chosen you to be his jounin instructor," she announced. "After the past few months, we are even more sure that you are the right person for the job. Good luck, Utakata-sensei."

Utakata stared speechless at his Mizukage before his gaze turned to each of her guards in turn. He waited for the inevitable moment when they declared it a joke, but it never came. He swallowed. _Why me!? I just want to sleep and go on fun missions sometimes!_

"I... uh..." Utakata tried to answer but he had no idea what to say. "I'll try to be a satisfactory instructor for whoever is on my team," he eventually said.

Mei hummed, satisfied. "Good to know," she said. "I will send your two new students to Harusame-shishou's estate at ten in the morning. You can get to know them then."

Utakata swallowed and nodded. He hoped his face didn't show how nervous he truly was. He cursed his life and his luck. _Why does it have to be me?_

"Am I dismissed?" he asked, bowing his head. He had a lot of things to think about and plan.

"You are dismissed," the Mizukage confirmed with a nod. He bowed down, first to the Mizukage and then to her guards.

Without any further hesitation, Utakata left, jumping out through the window. He ran through Kirigakure in a daze. He tried to come to terms with the responsibility of training three new genin, but he couldn't. He was already familiar with Kimimaro, but the identities of the other two remained a mystery._ I hope Kimimaro gets along with them._

When he arrived back at the estate, he headed to the kitchen first. Immediately, he was greeted with smiles from Harusame and Kimimaro.

"That was fast," Harusame commented. "I haven't even finished cooking lunch yet." He pointed to the kitchen counter, where many ingredients sat, waiting to be cooked. Next to him, Kimimaro stirred a pot, adding blocks of tofu to it.

"No, Mizukage-sama only wanted to talk," he admitted as he walked to Kimimaro's side.

He stared at Kimimaro, trying to come up with a way to explain their new situation. The boy shifted uneasily, waiting for Utakata to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. The kitchen fell into an awkward silence as Utakata considered what to say.

"You have a strange expression on your face," Harusame finally interrupted. "What has you so worried, Utakata-kun?"

Utakata sighed and shook his head. He was not sure if he was glad that Kimimaro would keep being his student or upset about having more work to do.

"Good news, Kimaro," Utakata said, keeping his gaze focused on the boy.

"What is it, sensei?" the boy asked, fiddling with the sleeves of his yukata.

Utakata sighed. "I'm going to be your jounin instructor," he said. "The Mizukage just told me you will be in a team with me as the squad leader. I'm not sure who the other two genin are, though."

Kimimaro's eyes brightened in happiness and for a second Utakata forgot how much work was ahead of him. He smiled.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Writing this chapter actually made me tear up a little. Mikoto and Naruto interactions are some of my favorite things.**

**If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites. You can send me questions about this fic or life in general.**

**Next chapter: Utakata meets his new charges.**


	25. Family Ties

**Updated on February 2, 2020. The author's notes are at the bottom because they're long.**

**In which Utakata meets his kids, Han consoles a friend, and Naruto celebrates a holiday.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

The morning when he had to meet his students, Utakata made sure to wear his formal jounin uniform. He hated wearing it on anything except missions. However, he knew from experience the importance of first impressions. _Gotta intimidate the new kids, at least._

"Oh, so you are actually wearing your uniform today, Utakata-kun," Harusame said. He started placing bowls of food on the table as Utakata joined them in the dining area.

Utakata grunted in assent, keeping his eyes closed, too tired to say anything. It was bad enough that he had to wear the uniform, but he also had to wake up a few hours earlier than usual. He tried to rub the tiredness away. When he opened his eyes, he found Kimimaro staring at him.

"Good morning," he said with a yawn. "Why are you looking at me like that, Kimimaro-kun?"

The boy swallowed and looked down at the table. "It's just... um... I've never seen you wearing a uniform, sensei."

"Oh yeah, I guess you haven't," Utakata responded with a shrug, slumping forward on the table._ I hate mornings._

"Are you excited to meet your teammates, Kimimaro-kun?" Harusame asked as he sat down, cross-legged, next to Utakata. He shook his shoulder with annoyance. Utakata sat up, yawning once more.

"I... guess?" Kimimaro answered, pulling a bowl of rice toward himself.

Harusame chuckled. He pushed food in front of Utakata before he had a chance to slump forward again,

"Don't worry," Harusame said to reassure the boy. "I'm sure they'll be good people. At the very least, I'm sure Utakata will take care of all three of you."

Utakata sighed before taking a bite of food. Silently, the three of them got started on breakfast. By the time they finished eating, Utakata was unfortunately wide awake. He stared at his student while Harusame cleaned up, making Kimimaro fidget.

"Are you ready to work with other people, Kimimaro?" he asked. "It's fine if you're not. I can talk to the Mizukage about it."

Kimimaro shook his head. "No, sensei. I'll be fine."

Utakata hummed to himself, deep in thought._ I hope you are, for both our sakes._

He turned to look at the clock. The Mizukage had promised to send the genin over at ten in the morning and only thirty minutes were left. With a sigh he stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"When the other two arrive, lead them to our usual training arena," he ordered with a yawn. "I have to check the grounds first. Can you do that?"

Kimimaro nodded his head. "Yes, sensei."

Utakata grunted. "Good. I'll wait for the three of you there."

With that, Utakata walked away, leaving Kimimaro alone to wait. He headed to the training grounds. Tiredly, he checked the posts and targets, making sure they were ready for use.

Satisfied that everything was set, he leaned against a training post. He closed his eyes and fell into a half-meditative, half-sleeping state. He didn't have to wait long until his nap was interrupted.

"Utakata-sensei," Kimimaro's familiar voice interrupted. "The other two are here."

Utakata opened his eyes. Kimimaro's eyes were lit up in happiness and it was not hard to see why. Next to him was Haku, wearing a brown combat outfit instead of his typical pink yukata. _I guess it would make sense to have them together. They're the same age._

The girl who tagged along was not familiar, however. She was short, making him wonder if she was younger than the two boys next to her. She had a round and expressive face, with large pink eyes that stared Utakata up and down judgmentally. Her hair was long, a dark grey that was almost black, tied back in a bun at the back of her head. At her hip was a small sheath containing a sword. She wore a dark green dress with black leggings underneath. Around her neck was a long pink scarf.

Together, the three of them knelt down in a semi-circle in front of Utakata, waiting for him to speak. Utakata turned his gaze at them one by one. He was curious about the girl in particular. She looked familiar in a way he couldn't put a finger on.

"Good morning," he said. "My name is Utakata and I will be your jounin-sensei. I am tasked with training you."

"Good morning," Haku replied with a bright smile. Kimimaro nodded his head and the girl waved a hand.

"Well, before we train, I want to get to know the three of you," he said. "I already know Kimimaro-kun and Haku-kun, but we should all be on the same page." The three children in front of him nodded. He hummed in appreciation._ They're attentive. That's good._

"Let me start," he continued. "As I said before, my name is Utakata. I like grilled eel the most and dislike sweet food in general. My hobbies are sleeping and blowing bubbles. My dream is to have a nice, long, and relaxing life. My specialty is bubble ninjutsu, water-style ninjutsu, and acid attacks."

He turned his gaze to Kimimaro to indicate for him to talk. Kimimaro straightened his back and looked at the three people surrounding him.

"My name is Kimimaro... Ka-Kaguya." He stuttered when giving the name of his clan. "I'm not sure what hobbies I have, but I like spending time with Haku-kun. I also like..." He looked at Utakata before turning his gaze down to his knees, a pink tint to his face. Utakata raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "My specialty is the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai," he continued. "It lets me control my skeletal structure. I... I'm not sure I have a dream."

Utakata nodded his head before turning his gaze to Haku. The other boy had visited Harusame's compound a few times, but Utakata didn't know much about him. He was curious.

"My name is Haku," he said with a kind smile and bright eyes. "I also like spending time with Kimimaro-kun." Kimimaro's face reddened and his lips quirked up in happiness. "I like flowers and my hobby is pressing plants and flower arranging. I have a kekkei genkai too. It helps me control ice and is called Hyoton. My dream is to be a useful weapon for Zabuza-sama."

"That's good to know, Haku," Utakata said, nodding his head. _So this kid also has a kekkei genkai? I should have known._

Finally, it was the girl's turn to speak.

"My name is Kasumi Karatachi," she began. "I like to-"

"Wait, Karatachi? As in the Mizukage Yagura Karatachi?" Utakata interrupted. Without thinking, he leaned forward to stare at the girl closely. Up close, he realized how similar she looked to his fellow jinchuuriki. _Is she his younger sister or something?_

A grimace passed across her face and she nodded her head reluctantly. "Yeah, the Fourth Mizukage is my father."

"Your father? He had kids!?" Utakata gasped. He had known Yagura for years and for some reason he had always imagined him as a lonely bachelor. _Though now that I think about it, we never talk about personal things. He's closer to Roshi and Han._

Her grimace turned into a furious scowl. She stood up. However, because of her height and face, she looked completely unthreatening. It reminded him of Yagura more than ever.

"So what if he did?" she shouted, glaring at Utakata. "I didn't choose who my father was!"

Utakata blinked at the girl, who looked like she was ready to bolt at any second. He forced his face into a mask of indifference. "I know you didn't," he said. "I was simply surprised that the Fourth Mizukage had any children at all. He kept his life very private, it seems."

She huffed. "Yeah, not private enough," she muttered. "I wish he wasn't my father."

Utakata's eyes widened and he swallowed, unsure of what to say. Haku and Kimimaro shifted, sharing awkward glances, equally confused. The girl collapsed back on the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees close to her chest. She pouted, making her look more like her father than ever before. Utakata sighed._ It had to be me, didn't it?_

"Sorry, Kasumi," he said. She looked up at him, still scowling. "Please continue. Believe me when I say your parentage is not going to change how I treat you," he lied. "All of us here have experienced... inequitable treatment because of our backgrounds. I'll make sure I don't do that to you."

"You mean it?" she asked, forehead still creased into a frown.

"I do," he nodded. "And I'm sure that Haku and Kimimaro do, too." The two boys nodded in agreement.

Kasumi sighed and stretched her legs out in front of her. She kept her eyes focused on the ground.

"Fine," she muttered. "My name is Kasumi Karatachi. I like training. I also like strawberries and chocolate. I hate flowers and flower arranging." Utakata saw Haku's eyes twitch in annoyance but she ignored him.

"My hobbies are needlecrafts," she continued. "You know, like knitting, embroidering, and stuff. My specialty is water-nature ninjutsu and kenjutsu. My dream is to become the second kunoichi to join the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

"It's very nice to meet you, Kasumi," Utakata said.

She pouted again, pulling her scarf up to hide the bottom part of her face. Kimimaro and Haku shifted as they waited for their teacher to speak. Utakata cleared his throat.

"Welcome to the team, everyone," he said. "Traditionally, a jounin-sensei will prepare a final test before letting you become genin."

"Wait, final test?" Haku asked, a small frown on his face. "I thought we were already genin."

"Not exactly," Utakata said. "It's a tradition for the jounin-sensei to have a final test or task and make sure you are ready to work in a four-man team."

"I see," Haku said, swallowing nervously. Kimimaro and Kasumi remained silent, staring at Utakata as they waited for him to explain.

"Usually this is something like, finding a scroll or doing a mission or fighting me," Utakata continued. "It's supposed to push the new genin with a test that's different from anything they have done before. Students that fail are sent back to the Academy."

At once, all three children's brows furrowed in worry. Kimimaro shifted, almost imperceptibly, as he stared up at him. Haku began to fidget with his fingers. Even Kasumi was affected, pulling her knees closer to herself as she leaned forward. _I guess they are taking this seriously._

"However," he said. "That's too much effort for me. You all pass."

The three children blinked and their eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait, that's it?" Kasumi asked, shifting into a cross-legged position and leaning forward. "My brother told me we had to take a stupid final test."

_Yagura has two children!? _Utakata nodded before speaking again. "Usually, yes," he explained. "But it's too much effort to fail you. If I see any deficiencies, I will simply give you more training exercises and drills to do."

"I see," Haku said, tilting his head to the side. "So then, what are we going to do for the rest of the day, Utakata-sensei?"

"I'm going to see what your current level is," Utakata said, standing up and stretching his arms. "Show me what jutsu you know. Your skills. Your endurance. All that."

"Yes, Utakata-sensei!" the three genin said as they stood up, excited to show off.

_They sure seem happy to pass so easily._ He stared at his new charges in contemplation.

"Your first test is an endurance run," he said. "You will do a full lap around Harusame's estate. It's approximately ten kilometers. Kimimaro can lead the way." Kimimaro nodded, happy at being given the task. "Keep the same pace, all three of you. Slow down if necessary. When you finish we will move on to other tests."

"Yes, sensei!" the three genin said again, already moving to get started on their run. Utakata nodded and hummed to himself in approval. _They sure seem excited to train. Maybe this will be easier than I thought._

"Well, get started," he said. "I'll be waiting for you here. Try not to keep me waiting."

"We won't, Utakata-sensei," they said together.

With bows of their heads, they started running, Kimimaro at the front. Kasumi and Haku kept up with his fast pace effortlessly. Utakata leaned back on the training post, waiting for them to return.

Alone, Utakata pondered over his responsibilities. He was glad to have Haku and Kimimaro on his team but the girl was a mystery. He wondered how alike she was to her father. Tired, he took a nap as he leaned on the post.

**O-O-O-O-O**

It was late, a few hours past midnight and Han was almost ready to leave the Room.

Earlier, they had played hide and seek with the children, using Yagura's coral to make a maze and learn about infiltration. Naruto had been surprisingly talented with the task, able to hide from everyone nearly the entire time. Fuu had been the worst, too conspicuous to stay hidden for long.

After saying goodbye to the children and Roshi, Han and Yagura had stayed in the Room to talk. While they lived together, Han always preferred to talk to Yagura's real face instead of his disguise.

While they were discussing the jinchuuriki transformations, a worried Utakata appeared.

"Utakata-kun?" Yagura asked, an eyebrow raised in surprise. "What are you doing here? It's kind of late."

Utakata's eyebrows furrowed more and he walked toward them. Han began to feel a sense of impending doom in the pit of his stomach. Utakata rarely joined them in the Room, especially late at night. He preferred to spend time with Yugito and Killer B in the mornings and late afternoons. Sometimes, he talked to the children in the early evening, but those occasions were rare.

Next to him, Yagura stood up from his lounging position on the floor. Han followed his lead, towering over both Utakata and Yagura.

"Yagura," Utakata began before stopping. He bit his lip as a thousand different emotions flitted across his face.

"What is it? Is something wrong in Kirigakure?" Yagura asked. "Or are you looking for advice on how to get a girlfriend?" Han could tell the question was a forceful attempt to bring levity to their conversation.

Utakata shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said. "It's just..." he closed his eyes and sighed. "It's a bit personal and about a shinobi in Kirigakure," he added. "Is it okay if Han is-"

"Anything you can say to me you can say to Han," Yagura said. He looked up at Han. "I trust him." Underneath his armor, Han smirked. _He's come so far from the time he yelled at us to shut the fuck up._

Utakata glanced at Han with a raised eyebrow before focusing once again on Yagura. He nodded. "It's of a personal nature," he reiterated.

"Oh, so you do need help getting a girlfriend," Yagura teased. "Or are you looking more for a boyfriend? I can help with either."

Utakata rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Why would I ask for your help getting a girlfriend when Yugito is better at it?"

Yagura's back straightened and he plastered a smile on his face. Han snickered. _I need to learn from Utakata on how to get him to shut up. He's a master at it._

"Fine, what's the problem?" Yagura snapped, keeping the same fake smile on his face.

Utakata closed his eyes and frowned, deep in thought. Han and Yagura waited. After a few tense seconds, Utakata opened his eyes. He stared down at Yagura with a frown. "Do you know the name Kasumi Karatachi?" he asked.

At once, Han felt a chill course through his body as Yagura's face hardened into something he had never seen before. The man wore a mask of fury and a forced attempt at self-control.

"How do you know that name?" Yagura asked, his voice cold and calculating.

Utakata bit his lip. "So you do have a daughter," he muttered.

Han startled. He had almost forgotten that Yagura had a family. He swallowed and looked down at his friend, whose face remained carefully collected.

"How do you know that name?" Yagura repeated the question, taking an angry step forward.

Utakata sighed. "I'm her jounin-sensei," he explained. "Mizukage-sama has unfortunately made me responsible for a four-man genin squad. It just so happens to include her."

"Jounin-sensei?" Yagura said in relief as the tension left his body. His voice filled with excitement as he walked closer toward Utakata. "She's a genin already? But she's only nine!"

Utakata swallowed at the sudden closeness, but he didn't step away. He nodded. "Yeah, my entire team is made up of little kids" he explained. "Haku and Kimimaro are also nine. I'm not actually sure if they are older or younger than her, though. It's a pain in the ass, to be honest."

"I see," Yagura said. He looked down at the ground with a sigh of relief. Han could only imagine what was going through his mind.

"Yeah, and I had my first look at her skills today," Utakata continued.

"Really? What was she like? Does she use any weapons? Did she say anything interesting?" Yagura asked, excitement making him step closer and closer to Utakata.

"She's... very talented," Utakata said, frowning in confusion. Han guessed he had never seen Yagura quite as excited before.

Yagura snorted in impatience. "Tell me more," he ordered. "I haven't spent time with her since she was two years old."

Han's brows contracted in pity. He got sad whenever Roshi was away for more than two weeks. He could only imagine being separated from his family for so long.

"Sure," Utakata answered, nodding while he began to gather his thoughts. "She has great endurance and taijutsu abilities. Her skill with weapons is also something to behold."

"Weapons?" Yagura interrupted. "What did she use? A staff?"

"Staff?" Utakata shook his head. "She said staffs are for weak people." Yagura took an offended step back. "She uses a sword. A wakizashi to be exact. She wants to specialize in kenjutsu and become the second kunoichi to join the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

"Really?" Yagura raised an eyebrow. "A sword? That's a bit of a surprise."

Utakata shrugged. "She was able to keep Kimimaro at bay when I had them spar. She was nearly perfect with her throwing accuracy, too."

"Nearly perfect?" Yagura raised a confused eyebrow.

"Haku was better," Utakata explained. "That boy has a special skill with senbon, I'll tell you that much."

Yagura paused to absorb everything Utakata had said. Han stared at his friend, watching how his face changed as he processed all the information. He could tell that he felt a sense of pride in his daughter's abilities.

"What did she look like?" Yagura asked.

"Short. Cute. Young." Utakata said. "She was wearing a long pink scarf. She had long hair and wide eyes."

"What else can you tell me?" Yagura asked. His eyes were full of tenderness Han had never seen before.

Utakata bit his lip. "She doesn't seem happy to have the Karatachi name," he confessed. "She says she wishes you weren't her father."

To Han and Utakata's mutual surprise, Yagura laughed at those words. "I can't blame her," he said. "I imagine that after my disastrous rule a lot of people hate me and my family name. In her mind, I'm the man that broke the village, made her mother and brother go into hiding, and then died."

"She... doesn't know you're alive?" Utakata asked.

Yagura snorted. "Of course she doesn't." Han could tell that he was trying hard to keep his tone of voice neutral. Silence fell across the three of them as they considered the implications.

Utakata stared at Yagura for a few seconds. Yagura waited impatiently for his next words.

"Would you like to see her?" Utakata asked.

Yagura startled back and his eyes widened as he stared at Utakata. "See her?" he asked, confused.

Utakata nodded. "We're having our first real team training session tomorrow at ten in the morning," Utakata said. "You are free to watch. Just look through my Door."

Han and Yagura stared at Utakata in shock. The younger jinchuuriki was the most private out of the nine of them. He always blocked off access to everyone else, even Yugito. Letting Yagura look through it was a giant concession for him.

"You... you'd let me do that?" Yagura asked incredulously. Han could tell that he was working hard to keep his face as impassive as possible.

Utakata nodded instead of answering. He stared down at Yagura with an indescribable look on his face.

"Thank you," Yagura said, keeping his face deliberately controlled.

"You're welcome," Utakata said. "I'll try to take good care of her."

He smiled before disappearing from the Room, leaving Yagura and Han alone.

As soon as the younger jinchuuriki disappeared, Yagura broke. He squatted down on the floor, putting his head between his knees, vulnerable in a way Han had never seen before.

Han frowned before sitting down next to his friend. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Yagura flinched at the sudden touch but said nothing. They stayed side by side for a few minutes until they collectively decided to leave.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"So what are you doing for the winter break, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked while they took a break from sparring. It was nearing the start of winter and the beginning of their break. He wondered if she would learn new techniques.

"My family is going to the capital," she answered before taking a swing of water. "We usually go there during the winter."

Naruto nodded before turning his attention to Sasuke, who was wiping the sweat away from his forehead. "What about you, jerk?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm staying in Konoha. We always celebrate New Year's here."

Naruto sighed in relief. The few days he had spent alone during the summer holiday had been pure torture for him. He was glad to have at least one other person to keep him company. He looked back at Hinata.

"So why is your family going to the capital anyway?" he asked.

"My father... doesn't like to stay here during that time," she answered after some thought. "My mother has some cousins who live there too, so we usually celebrate my birthday with them."

"Wait, your birthday?" Naruto leaned forward until he was almost nose to nose with Hinata. "It's almost your birthday?"

She leaned back away from him, almost nervous. She nodded. "Yes, December 27."

Naruto considered her words, tilting his head to the side and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You should've told me earlier," he whined. "I would've had more time to buy you something, ya know!"

Hinata chuckled. "It's okay, Naruto-kun," she said. "You don't have to get me anything."

"Yeah, but I want to," he retorted with a pout.

He would have to get something for her before the break started. For his birthday, she had given him a small box of chocolates with a homemade card. While he knew her present couldn't have been expensive, he loved that it came from her. He wished he had more time to think of something suitable to give her. Deep in thought, his gaze turned to Sasuke before he realized something else.

"Hey!" he shouted, making both Sasuke and Hinata jump at the suddenness. "I don't know Sasuke's birthday! Don't tell me it's tomorrow or something!"

Sasuke frowned as he turned his attention back to Naruto. "If you must know, it was July 23. Right when the summer holiday started."

"Oh, okay," Naruto said with a sigh._ I have a lot of time to think about what to get him, then. _They lapsed back into silence as they stretched tired muscles and took sips of water.

"Hey, loser," Sasuke said, uncharacteristically breaking the silence.

Naruto automatically glared at Sasuke. "What is it, jerk?"

Sasuke fidgeted and looked away from Naruto. "My mother said you can stay with us during the break," he said. "At the very least she told me to invite you to stay overnight for New Year's Eve. Do you want to?"

Naruto blinked in surprise as Sasuke's words set in. _Spend the holiday with Auntie? That sounds awesome!_

"Wait, really?" he asked. "Isn't that normally, like, a family thing?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Mom said you can come if you want. You're not spending it with anyone else, are you?"

_Actually, I usually spend extra long with the jinchuuriki._ He couldn't say anything about the Room, however, so he shook his head instead.

"Are you sure I can go?" he asked. He had been going to the Uchiha compound more and more, staying overnight every other weekend. Nevertheless, the idea of spending a major holiday with them sent a shiver of nerves running down his back.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "If you couldn't, I wouldn't invite you," he said. "Now, show me what you got, this break has gone on for long enough already."

Naruto grinned before running to the middle of the sparring grounds in wait for Sasuke. Perhaps he was too distracted thinking about the winter break because he lost the next three rounds.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Naruto-kun, wake up, it's almost time," a soft voice said, shaking him awake gently.

Naruto stirred and sat up, blinking. Next to him, Sasuke also rose, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. He stared at him for a second in confusion before he remembered how he got there. _Oh yeah, it's New Year's. We have to make a wish. _Slightly more awake, he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

On the last day before the winter holiday, Naruto had given Hinata her present: a chocolate bar and a voucher for free ramen at Ichiraku. Sasuke had given her nothing but had been kind enough to mutter 'Happy Birthday' to her. She had thanked them both with a smile before leaving.

For the rest of the winter break, he had gone to the Uchiha compound nearly every day. He trained with Sasuke in the morning, breaking only for lunch. After that, he always helped Sasuke's mother with whatever cooking or cleaning needed to be done. While he didn't always stay for dinner, he ate at their house more often than at his own. On New Year's Eve, he had stayed overnight to celebrate and watch the first sunrise.

To Sasuke's disappointment, Itachi had not joined in the festivities. Instead, his brother had arrived home shortly before midnight. He had sat with them only long enough to eat before disappearing into his room. While Sasuke's family said nothing about his attitude, Naruto could tell that they were disappointed to not have him around. After midnight, Naruto and Sasuke had been sent to bed, only to wake up later to watch the first sunrise of the new year.

"It's time to make your wish," Sasuke's mother said, trying in vain to comb through Sasuke's hair. "It's the first sunrise of the year, so make it count."

Naruto and Sasuke grunted their assent, too tired to talk. Grumbling, the two boys left the comfort of their futons and followed Sasuke's mother. She led them outside and up a ladder.

By the time he was sitting on the roof, Naruto had woken up. Shivering, he rubbed his hands together and shifted closer to Sasuke. _If he says anything, I'll push him off the roof._

However, Sasuke must have felt equally as cold, because he also moved to sit closer to Naruto. Side by side, they rubbed their hands together and shivered.

Sasuke's mother chuckled. "Cold, boys?"

Naruto nodded furiously, too frozen to speak. He was relieved to see Sasuke agreeing with him. A few seconds later, he felt a heavy warmth settle over his shoulders. He looked up. Sasuke's father stood over them, placing separate blankets to cover them both. Relieved, he wrapped himself in its warmth.

"Th-thank you, Uchiha-san," he said through chattering teeth.

"Thank you, Father," Sasuke said, wrapping himself with the blanket.

Sasuke's father nodded before taking a step back and looking out at the horizon. "The sun will rise in a few minutes. Be ready for it."

Naruto grunted his assent before turning his gaze to the east. As they waited for the sun in silence, Naruto thought about what to wish for. He had wasted his birthday wish and he didn't want the same thing to happen again. He had even asked for help from the other jinchuuriki.

Unfortunately, they had been no help. Utakata, Yugito, and Yagura had snorted and said wishes didn't come true with magic. Killer B had rapped something about making his own wishes come true. Roshi and Han had only shrugged, telling him to think about it himself. Even Fuu and Gaara had been useless.

While Gaara had tried to help, he had been confused about the idea of making wishes at sunrise. Fuu, on the other hand, had only recommended things that were physically impossible. He was not sure if wishes could come true or not, but he knew that no amount of magic would make his apartment made out of candy.

Frustrated and mind still blank, Naruto turned to look behind him. Sasuke's mother and father sat side by side. Unlike him, they appeared comfortable in the cold, not shivering or moving at all. Apart from his family was Itachi. Like his parents, he sat motionless and stared out at the horizon.

Naruto frowned to himself and squinted as he looked out at the land in front of him. It was still pitch dark, with the stars and the moon as the only sources of light. He pondered the question of what to wish for before he finally came to his solution.

A few seconds later, the first rays of sunshine appeared, illuminating the forests in vivid orange and yellow.

"It's time, boys," Sasuke's mother said. "Make a wish."

Naruto stared out at the horizon. He felt a smile tugging at his lips._ My wish is to get a higher score than Sasuke in class!_

Wish made, he turned to glare at Sasuke. Like Naruto, he looked out, deep in thought. When he noticed him staring, he glared back.

"What do you want, loser?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto snorted. "Nothing," he said as he turned his head away. _You better be ready to lose, jerk!_

"Hn," Sasuke grunted in retort but said nothing else.

"Happy New Year! I hope we can enjoy many more years together," Sasuke's mother said.

She stood up, brushing non-existent dirt from her dress. She walked toward them, balancing perfectly on the roof. She sat down between Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto moved away, but she pulled him in for a hug. Blushing, he allowed her to wrap an arm around him. _If Sasuke says anything, I'll burn his homework._

To his relief, Sasuke said nothing disparaging. Instead, he also allowed his mother to pull him in closer. "Thanks, Mom," he said.

"Happy New Year, Auntie, Sasuke, Uchiha-san, Itachi-san!" Naruto yelled, turning his face to each of them in turn.

"Happy New Year, Naruto," Sasuke's father said as he walked to stand behind his wife. Itachi said nothing but he moved marginally closer.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, burrowing closer to his mother's side. Naruto grinned as he leaned his head against her shoulder. _Mama's boy._

Together, the five of them watched the sky change colors in silence. With the sun fully risen, Sasuke's mother sighed. She stood up, extricating herself from Naruto and Sasuke.

"Well, I think it's time for breakfast," she declared. "But first..."

Naruto turned his face to look up at her in confusion. _What else is there to do? The sun is up!_

She grinned when she saw the look on his face. She dug into her dress pockets and pulled out red envelopes. She handed one over to Sasuke before giving one to Naruto.

"Here, this is a present for you two," she said. "Try to spend it wisely."

_New Year's money?_ Embarrassed, Naruto blushed and bowed his head down. "Thank you very much, Auntie."

"Thank you, Mom," Sasuke said as he tucked his present into his pocket. While he was less enthusiastic, Naruto could tell that he was equally grateful.

"You're welcome." She grinned at them one last time before turning her gaze to her oldest son, who was hovering silently behind them. "Oh, Itachi, come here."

Naruto saw confusion flash across Itachi's face. Silent, he left his post and walked to his mother's side.

"What is it, Mother?" he asked, his face as impassive and tired as always.

"I hope you didn't think I had forgotten about you!" she said as she dug through her pockets once again. "Happy New Year, Itachi." She took out a third red envelope, extending it out for Itachi to take.

Itachi's eyes widened marginally in surprise. "For me?" he asked. "Why?"

"Do I need a reason? You're my son," she said, a small smile on her face.

"Oh," Itachi said as he took the red envelope in his hands. He bowed his head down at his mother as he tucked the gift into his pocket. "Thank you." He said nothing else as he took a step back, distancing himself from his family once more.

Naruto saw some strange emotion flash across his eyes. He frowned to himself. _What's his deal?_

"Well, I guess that's it," Sasuke's mother said as she stretched her arms in front of her. "Now, who wants breakfast?"

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Utakata just gets more and more responsibilities.**

**So I decided to edit the previous chapters cause I wasn't vibin' with them anymore. However, this was not a one person job. Thank you so much to Amationary and LegancyZ for helping me do this humongous task! **

**Now, while the chapters have been edited, they are cosmetic changes in regards to word choice, B's raps, using past tense, and other minor things. I have not changed any of the story although I have added a few asides and statements from the characters here and there. You don't have to re-read it from the beginning at all because the story is exactly the same!**

**Chapter 26 will be out next week, probably on Saturday! Unless you're reading this in the future and the chapter is already out, I guess.**

**You can talk to me on Tumblr (waffledogwrites). You can send me questions about this fic or life in general if you want. Thank you so much for reading!**

**Next chapter: Utakata sasses Yagura.**


	26. Preserved Memories

**In which Gaara has his first solo mission, Utakata trains his team, and Naruto looks at pictures.**

**Warning for blood and death in this chapter.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Your target is there, Gaara-sama," Baki said, pointing to the horizon.

Gaara nodded as he stepped forward to take a closer look. He saw a small and dilapidated building hidden in the desert made out of mud bricks. Inside was the man he was meant to kill. He looked up at Baki for any further instruction but the man was silent, face impassive. Gaara turned his gaze back to the house and clenched his jaw.

It was a simple mission. The target wasn't a shinobi and never had been. But he had stolen jewelry from a rich merchant's mistress, which was more than enough to condemn him to death. While Baki had taken him there, Gaara knew he had to complete the mission alone. _My first solo mission and it's an assassination._

Gaara forced the familiar mask of disinterest to form across his face. In the back of his mind, he heard Shukaku trying to interfere with his thoughts, urging him to kill. He ignored the bijuu as best as he could. Without hesitation, he walked toward the tiny house. He felt Baki's eyes following him, focused on his back.

Gaara pushed the door in, using the sand to cushion the sound of the hinges. He entered the living room, composed of only a sofa and a low table. He walked past down the hallway toward the sound of muttering, arriving at a wide-open door. He looked inside.

An old man sat at a table, giving his back to the door. He had a pile of cash in front of him. He was chucking to himself as he ran his hands through the money, counting it slowly. Gaara couldn't stand looking at him.

He felt a headache start to build. Shukaku's voice was growing insistent, urging him to kill, but he needed to confirm the target first. He tried to ignore the pain as he stepped inside.

Sensing his presence for the first time, the man turned around, standing up from his chair.

"Who- who's there?" he yelled as he stood up, eyes wide. He stared down at Gaara and his panic subsided. "Oh, a kid? Get lost, brat!"

To Gaara's relief, the man was exactly who he had been ordered to assassinate. He had a grey beard with balding hair, an unmistakable scar adorning his chin.

"Are you Nakazo?" Gaara asked, ignoring the man's words.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" the man asked, collapsing back on his chair with a grunt. "I'm not going to be in this village for long anyway. Just leave now, kid, before I give you the pounding of your life."

Gaara said nothing. He took a step closer. The man's eyes widened in confusion and anger. "Didn't you hear me? Get lost, brat!"

Gaara ignored him again. Around him, the sand rose, forming a wall at his back. For the first time, the man seemed to notice the gourd slung across his back.

"Wait... I heard of you... You're..." He swallowed and pushed his chair back, but it was useless. There was no place for him to run.

The man didn't get the opportunity to say anything else. He opened his mouth to scream when the wall of sand collapsed on him. He struggled for a few seconds to free himself, but it was pointless. Gaara squeezed his hand into a fist. At once, the sand fell on top of him, killing the thief instantly.

Blood splashed throughout the room, covering it in red speckles. As on the last mission, Shukaku quieted at once, letting him enjoy his own thoughts in peace. He felt an immediate sense of relief coursing through him, followed by overwhelming guilt. _Why is it so easy to kill people?_

With a sigh of exhaustion, Gaara collapsed on the floor. He felt blood drip down his face to the ground. Numb, he tried to wipe it away from his face but it was useless. His forearm got covered in red instead.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe, as steady as possible. He wanted to talk to the other jinchuuriki, any of them, but it was the middle of the afternoon. They were no doubt living their own lives. Alone, he wanted to break down and cry. He knew, however, that he couldn't return to Baki with tears in his eyes. Instead of crying, he sat on the ground, trying to get his pulse to slow down and for his breathing to return to normal.

After what felt like years, he stood up with a grunt. To his relief, Shukaku was still quiet. He wondered if the fact that he was covered in blood had anything to do with his silence.

Gaara forced himself to breathe in and out, slowly and deliberately. He counted his breaths. Donning his normal mask, he walked out of the bedroom and back to where Baki was waiting for him. He refused to look at the blood splattered on the walls and floor as he left.

"I assume the mission was a success, Gaara-sama?" Baki asked. The man stood waiting under the shade of a date palm, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Gaara nodded his head, too afraid of what he might say. Baki grunted in satisfaction. He looked at Gaara up and down but didn't comment on the shower of blood.

"Good," he said. "Let's go."

Gaara nodded again and fell behind Baki as they headed back to the village.

**O-O-O-O-O**

When he arrived back home, he found Temari and Kankuro eating together in the dining area. They turned their faces to look at Gaara as he stepped inside. They paled when they saw him covered in blood and looked away.

Gaara walked past them. Ever since their first mission as a team, they had ignored him, only speaking to him in Baki's company. He wasn't sure if he preferred their total silence more than their previous anger.

Gaara headed to the bathroom. He took off his clothes and threw them into the hamper. For a second, he wondered if his caretakers would be able to clean the blood or if they would have to throw his clothes away. He shook his head to get rid of the thought.

Curious, he walked toward the sink to look at his reflection on the mirror.

He flinched back, glad that no one was there to see his reaction. His entire body was speckled in his target's blood. His face was the worst, with the red smeared across from when he had tried to clean it away. _Next time, I need to stand farther away from my target._

The thought disturbed him. He felt heavy guilt settle into his stomach again. He looked away from the mirror.

Trying to distract himself, he stepped into the bathing area. He filled a bucket with hot water, although he wasn't sure if that would be enough to wash off the evidence.

Trying to conserve water, he began to wash himself, focusing on his face and hair first. Tired, he watched as the blood mixed with the water as it ran down the drain. Mentally exhausted, he scrubbed slowly.

He ran out of water within a few minutes. Annoyed, he filled another bucket and repeated the process. He had gone through two more buckets until the water finally ran clear. He stared at the water as it swirled down the drain.

A sudden wave of panic hit him. He pressed his face down into his knees and forced himself to breathe in and out slowly. He counted his breath, just how Roshi taught him so long ago, pushing the tears back. _I can't let Temari or Kankuro see me like this._

Swallowing, he stood up, wrapping a clean towel around himself. With a shiver at the cold, he stepped outside and headed toward his bedroom. To his relief, he didn't see his siblings along the way.

Once inside his room, he changed into clean clothes and walked to his window. In the time it had taken to clean up the blood and change, night had fallen and the moon had risen. He stared at it, trying to get his mind to calm down.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. To his relief, he could hear the other jinchuuriki inside the Room. They were laughing and talking to one another. At once, their cheer lifted his spirits. He smiled to himself.

He walked away to sit down on the floor, leaning against the wall. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, willing his mind to take him away.

When he appeared, all of the jinchuuriki were already there. He stared around at them in surprise. They were rarely all together at the same time. In the evening it was usually just him, Fuu, Roshi, and Naruto.

"Hi, Gaara-chan!" Fuu said. She ran to him, enveloping him in a hug. Effortlessly, she lifted him up, carrying him in her arms and pushing his face into her mane of hair. A second later, Naruto was at his side, wrapping his arms around both him and Fuu.

"Gaara! You're finally here!" he shouted. "I feel like we've been waiting forever for you!"

Gaara spit out Fuu's hair. "What do you mean waiting for me?" he asked, confused. Fuu dropped him back to the ground.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Because it's your birthday, dummy!" he said, a grin on his face.

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise. "It's my birthday?" he asked. He tried to remember the last time he had looked at the calendar, but he couldn't recall. With Naruto's statement, he remembered celebrating the New Year not too long ago.

"Well, at least more than one person forgets their birthdays," Roshi muttered.

Naruto grinned bashfully. He walked to Gaara's side, placing a comforting hand on top of his head. "Happy birthday, Gaara," he said with a grin.

He looked around at the other jinchuuriki again. They smiled at him, giving their own congratulations. He returned their greetings with a smile of his own.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata looked out at the children sparring in front of him. Kimimaro had formed a sword out of his shoulder blade. He held it in his right hand, using the left to aid in balancing. In front of him, Kasumi extended her sword, a short wakizashi, using both hands. The two of them were sparring, lunging at each other and testing their defenses.

Haku knelt at Utakata's side, watching the fight with an intense stare. He had already been defeated by Kasumi after a few minutes of intense fighting. Panting, she had refused to take a break, demanding to fight Kimimaro instead. Kimimaro had complied, agreeing to fight using only a sword made out of bone.

'_Should I be upset that I don't actually have to teach them anything?' _Utakata asked himself.

'_Not sure. All I know is that my little baby is growing up so fast,' _Yagura said.

Utakata forced himself not to smile. After meeting his team for the first time, he had allowed Yagura to look through and see his daughter during their training sessions. It was a small concession for Utakata, but it meant that he has to focus and keep his face as neutral as possible. The former Mizukage tended to get excited whenever his daughter did anything, no matter how minute.

While Yagura was fawning over his daughter, Utakata had gotten to know his new students.

Haku was fast and perceptive, Kimimaro's friend and confidante. His throwing accuracy was the best Utakata had ever seen in someone so young. He suspected even some jounin did not have the same level of skill with senbon as Haku. However, Utakata had found him indecisive at times, too kind for his own good.

Kasumi, meanwhile, both looked and acted like her father. She was very emotional, equally prone to fits of rage and sadness. She was fast and skilled, a perfect wielder of her wakizashi. To Utakata's relief, both Kimimaro and Haku seemed to like her. They spent enough time talking to each other at least. They also cooperated well in team drills and exercises, working perfectly as a group. _The Mizukage really did choose the most promising shinobi for this team._

While they had completed only D-ranked missions, he knew that their first C-ranked mission was just around the corner. With that thought in mind, Utakata had focused on improving their team coordination and sparring skills.

In front of him, Kimimaro and Kasumi continued fighting. Kasumi was a small and flexible target, forcing Kimimaro to try attacking more often. In comparison, Kimimaro had a stronger defense, able to summon shields of bone to deflect her attacks when necessary. Overall, they were evenly matched.

'_That boy is talented,'_ Yagura noted. Utakata could sense how impressed he was._ 'Are you sure he's only nine?'_

'_I'm sure. I feel like I've been forced to babysit once-in-a-lifetime prodigies.'_

Yagura chuckled. _'Well, you're not wrong about that.'_

They turned their attention back to the fight. Kasumi weaved around Kimimaro, lunging experimentally, looking for an opening. Kimimaro parried all her attacks. However, based on his grimace and the sweat on his forehead, he was feeling pressured. He jumped back to get away from her latest strike. He kept his eyes focused on her as he tried to get his breathing back under control.

Kasumi retreated as well. She crouched, looking at Kimimaro with an intense glare in her eyes. She frowned and took a second to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Tiredly, she exhaled and stood up with a grin at her opponent.

"You're really, strong, Kimimaro," she said, voice sincere. "I'm glad you're on my team."

Kimimaro blinked. He stared at Kasumi, wide-eyed as he absorbed her words. "Thank you," he said. "I am, too."

Kasumi giggled. She lunged to attack as their fight continued. Utakata, Haku, and Yagura watched, captivated. Utakata wondered how long they have been swinging swords at each other. He kept watching, not wanting to miss a single moment.

Kimimaro struck, swinging his sword over his head to attack Kasumi. She parried, moving her left leg back, seemingly to retreat. However, instead of running away, she leaped toward Kimimaro while he still lunging forward.

She weaved under his sword and emerged behind him, holding her wakizashi up to his neck. Kimimaro froze, the tip of her blade against his jugular.

"I win," she panted with a triumphant grin. Beads of sweat fell down her face and onto the ground. "Drop your weapon."

Kimimaro let go of the sword. Like Kasumi, he was covered in sweat, panting heavily as he tried to get his breathing back in order. He lifted up his hands as a sign of surrender.

"You win," Kimimaro confirmed.

'_That's my baby girl!'_ Yagura proclaimed, voice full of pride.

'_Your baby girl is going to give me a headache.'_

Kasumi giggled, sheathing her sword and letting Kimimaro go. Exhausted, she walked to Kimimaro's side. She put her hand on his shoulder. Utakata saw Kimimaro tense at the sudden physical contact.

"No hard feelings, right, Kimimaro-kun?" she said, a grin on her face.

Kimimaro flushed, looking away. He shook his head. Kasumi giggled again. Together, they left the fighting ring and walked toward Utakata and Haku.

"How was that, Utakata-sensei?" Kasumi asked. Her voice was full of excitement as she waited for feedback.

'_Phenomenal. Splendid. The best display of swordsmanship I've ever seen in my life.'_

"It was good," Utakata said. He tried not to let Yagura interfere with his emotions too much.

Kasumi pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Is that all you have to say, sensei?"

Utakata felt an influx of love and adoration upon seeing her cute face. To prevent himself from squealing in joy, he forced his face into a mask of indifference. "It was very good."

Kasumi huffed. Exhausted, she collapsed on the grass next to Haku. She muttered something about teachers and laziness. Kimimaro followed her lead, sitting down on Haku's other side. While he was silent, he saw a flash of disappointment cross his face.

Utakata was struck by sudden guilt that was not because of Yagura. He sighed. _Why me?_

"Fine, all three of you are excellent students," he said. The three children turned their heads to look at him. "Your skills are already top level and there is not much I can teach you. The only thing I recommend is that you continue honing the abilities you already have."

"Haku!" he began.

The boy jumped and turned to him. "Yes?" he asked, a nervous frown on his face.

"Your ability with senbon is perfect. Study human anatomy and I believe you'll be able to hit tenketsu points with accuracy. You also have good control with chakra, so you should consider learning medical ninjutsu. I can talk to Harusame-sensei and look for a medic-nin to teach you if you want."

"Oh, uh, thank you, sensei," Haku said. He bowed his head, taking Utakata's recommendations to heart.

"Kasumi," he continued. The girl focused on him, excited to receive feedback. "Your mastery over the sword is apparent and you used your small size to your advantage. However, you used too much energy jumping and moving. It worked with Kimimaro because you have similar reserves. But if you ever meet an opponent with more chakra, using too much energy in one fight will leave you vulnerable. You should consider letting your opponent use up their energy before you make your own attacks."

She nodded enthusiastically at his words. Finally, Utakata turned his eyes to Kimimaro. The boy shifted, looking up at him nervously. Utakata swallowed before saying anything.

"Your skill with a sword is nearly unprecedented, Kimimaro," he said. "However, you tend to have the opposite problem as Kasumi. While waiting to see what your opponent will do is a valid strategy, if you had tried attacking faster and more aggressively, you could have won. I saw at least two opportunities in which Kasumi's defenses were lowered. You could have struck at those times."

"I see," Kimimaro said with a nod. He frowned, mulling over his words.

Satisfied that he had left them with something to think about, Utakata collapsed on the grass, his hands cradling his head.

From his position lying down, he glanced at his three students. They were talking to one another, going over what Utakata had told them. They took sips of water, trying to rehydrate themselves after all their exercise. He smirked to himself in satisfaction. _That should tide them over for a while._

'_You sure are more perceptive than you look, Utakata-kun,'_ Yagura teased. _'Are you sure you don't want to be Mizukage one day?'_

'_Too much work.'_

Utakata stayed on the grass, listening half-heartedly to his team's conversation. He said nothing until the sun began to set.

'_Huh, It got late really fast.'_

'_That's because you were napping.'_

Utakata sat up, stretching his arms over his head. He yawned. In front of him, Haku giggled while Kasumi rolled her eyes. Kimimaro smiled.

"You're so lazy, sensei!" Kasumi complained although she seemed more exasperated than truly upset.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he admitted.

Kasumi opened her mouth to say something else when Utakata sensed someone approaching, He bolted up, expecting an attack. He pulled the three children behind him as he waited for their new company to show themselves.

However, instead of an enemy, a short woman appeared in front of them, a teenage boy standing next to her. Utakata had no idea who they were, but he felt Yagura mentally screaming at him.

'_Shit.'_

'_What? Who are they?'_

'_Shit. Shit. Shit. I can't believe... What the fuck?'_

Utakata forced himself to block out Yagura's mental muttering. Schooling his face into a mask of indifference, he turned his gaze to the people walking toward them.

"Mom! Nii-san!" Kasumi left Utakata's side and ran toward the boy and the woman.

_Mom? Nii-san?_ Sure enough, the woman extended her arms out. Kasumi ran to her, wrapping her arms around her midsection in a hug. The boy next to him patted her head, a grin on his face. _Oh. So that's why Yagura is yelling._

"Good evening," Utakata said with a nod of his head. At his sides, Haku and Kimimaro repeated the greeting.

"Good evening," the woman said, bowing her head down respectfully. "We've come to pick up Kasumi. I guess she forgot we have dinner with the Mizukage tonight."

Kasumi flinched. "Oh... yeah... Sorry, Mom. I forgot." She chuckled bashfully, still keeping her arms wrapped around her mother's stomach.

The boy shrugged. "It's fine. We still have over an hour. I thought you might need a little time to get ready, though."

"That's true," she said, looking up at her older brother's eyes. "Oh, I should probably introduce you," she muttered to herself. She turned around, a determined grin on her face.

"Mom, nii-san," she began. "This is my team. This is my teacher, Utakata-sensei." Utakata nodded his head again. "And they are my teammates, Haku-kun and Kimimaro-kun." Haku smiled and waved a hand while Kimimaro only bowed his head. "And this is my mom and my brother. His name is Asahi." She pointed to her family.

"It's very nice to meet you," the woman said. "My name is Anzu Karatachi. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Nice to meet you!" the boy, Asahi, said. Unlike his sister, who had the same face as her father, he looked most like his mother. He had sharp eyes and a narrow and serious face. The only hints of his father were his eyes, which were a similar shade of pink, and his hair, which was a light grey.

'_I can't believe I got to see them again,' _Yagura said.

Utakata felt a wave of melancholy course through his body. He got a sudden urge to cry. He tried to focus back on the introductions, but he couldn't. Yagura's emotions were affecting him too much to keep his face neutral.

"I-it's nice t-to m-meet you, too," he stuttered.

The woman hummed, staring Utakata up and down with a smirk on her face. With a chill, he realized he had met her before.

'_Wait... She's the ANBU who sent the message from Mizukage-sama!'_

'_Oh, so she's back in ANBU.'_

'_Your wife is an ANBU agent!?'_

Yagura snorted._ 'Where else are you supposed to find a wife? Who doesn't want a wife that could murder them in their sleep?'_

'_Literally everyone else in the world.'_

Yagura chuckled. To his relief, Yagura's emotions had become much less volatile and Utakata regained control over his face.

"Anyway, we just came here to take Kasumi-chan home," the woman said. "We can't keep the Mizukage waiting."

"No, I suppose you can't," Utakata agreed. He looked down at Kasumi. "Keep what I told you in mind," he ordered. "Don't use up your energy too early or you could get tired too quickly."

"Yes, sensei!" she answered cheerfully. She waved goodbye at her teammates. With no other words exchanged, she walked away, holding her brother's hand.

'_I guess in the end she's still just a kid.'_

'_The cutest kid.'_

'_Debatable.'_

He watched her and her family walking away until they were only a speck in the distance. With a sigh, he turned back to his other two students.

"And you, Haku?" he asked. "Are you going home now, too?"

Haku hummed thoughtfully before answering. "Zabuza-sama is probably waiting for me," he concluded. "I should head home. I will think about what you have told me about medical ninjutsu, Utakata-sensei." He nodded his head, first to Utakata and then to Kimimaro. He departed, leaving Utakata and Kimimaro alone.

Utakata raised an eyebrow as he looked down at his remaining student. Kimimaro shifted, waiting to hear what Utakata would say. Utakata sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Go take a bath," he ordered. "I'll meet you for dinner. Think about what I said, I guess."

Kimimaro's eyes widened and he nodded. He ran back to the manor. Utakata stayed behind in the training grounds, deep in thought.

'_Yagura?'_

'_Yeah?'_

'_How did you manage to get such a beautiful wife? Did you brainwash her?'_

Yagura huffed. Offended, he severed the connection with Utakata's mind, leaving the Room. Utakata smirked to himself as he rebuilt his mental barriers. _Yugito is right. It's fun to annoy him._

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Oh, this one is really nice!" Sasuke's mother exclaimed as she held up the picture for them to look at. "Sasuke is even smiling in this one!"

"Mom!" Sasuke whined.

Sasuke's mother shrugged off his complaints. "What? I swear, you are too much like your father and brother at times. It's like Uchiha men don't know how to smile!"

Naruto giggled as he threw Sasuke a mocking grin. Sasuke pouted and looked away in annoyance. Naruto only stared back at the picture held in the hands of Sasuke's mother.

During the break before the start of their second year, Naruto had gone to the Uchiha household. Sasuke's mother had gotten around to developing the pictures taken at his birthday party. They had gathered around the coffee table in the living room to look at the photos together. Naruto had been curious to see. _I don't think I have any pictures of myself._

"Hey! I like this one! You look really happy, Auntie!" Naruto pointed to the picture. In it, Sasuke's mother was smiling as she set down glasses of milk on the table. Naruto guessed Sasuke's father had taken it when none of them were looking.

"Hm, I suppose I don't look half bad," she admitted as she stared at the picture.

"You do look nice, Mom," Sasuke added.

With that, they continued to flip through the pictures. Some of them were blurry, taken at a moment when someone was moving. Others were too light or too dark to make out much. However, most were great, capturing the moment when Naruto blew out the candles or when they were eating their cake slices. Naruto knew he would treasure even the ugly photos for the rest of his life. Someone had cared enough not only to take them but to print them out as well. He knew he would hang up all of them in his room later.

"That's everything?" Sasuke asked when his mother finished going through the stack.

She put the pictures down on the table and nodded. "That's all."

"Thank you so much, Auntie!" Naruto said.

"You're welcome, Naruto," she said with a kind smile as she put the photos back into the envelope. "Here, keep them. I made extra copies for myself." She extended the envelope forward, waiting for Naruto to take.

"Oh, uh, thank you." Naruto took the offered gift in his hands. He felt his face flush and he looked down at his knees in embarrassment. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to her being nice to him. He placed the envelope in his jacket pocket.

"Now..." Both boys turned to look at her in curiosity. "Would you like to see pictures of Sasuke as a baby?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed as Sasuke screamed out a "No!"

Naruto stared at Sasuke with a smirk, eyes glittering in excitement. Sasuke scowled at him, threatening retribution if Naruto persisted.

Sasuke's mother only laughed at their reactions. She stood up and walked away, ignoring Sasuke's silent pleas. "I'll be right back, boys. I'll get my photo album."

"Sure, Auntie!" Naruto said cheerfully before turning to stare at Sasuke, whose face had turned a light pink color. "What's the problem? Were you an ugly baby or what, jerk?"

Sasuke huffed and looked away. He kept his eyes focused determinedly at the wall as they waited for his mother to come back. Naruto giggled to himself.

"Here it is," Sasuke's mother said as she walked back and returned to her seat. She placed a large photo album on the table, opening it to the first page. "I started this one soon after I got married."

Sure enough, on the first page was a wedding photo of Sasuke's parents. His mother stood proudly, a demure smile on his face, beautiful as always. Her hair was done up in a perfect bun and she wore an intricate blue kimono. Her makeup only seemed to emphasize her natural beauty. At her side, Sasuke's father looked slightly happier than usual.

"Wow! You look really beautiful, Auntie!" Naruto exclaimed. "Uchiha-san looks about the same, though."

She chuckled. "Why, thank you, Naruto." She flipped the page of the album to show pictures upon pictures of a chubby baby. "Here is Itachi. He's really cute, isn't he?"

"He looks so... small," Sasuke commented. He stared at the pictures of his older brother with a frown. Naruto nodded in agreement. He was so used to seeing Itachi as Sasuke's cool and serious brother than imagining him as a newborn was strange.

"You two were that size once, too," she said. She flipped through a few more pages, letting them see Itachi as he grew up.

"Nii-san used to have short hair," Sasuke said, sounding confused. "He says he doesn't like short hair."

She nodded. "Yes. I had to force him to cut it when he was very young. He used to cry whenever I did it though." For some reason, she frowned to herself and her eyes glazed over.

"Why did you stop cutting his hair?" Sasuke asked curiously.

She hummed as she considered how best to answer. "I realized it made him sad," she finally answered. "So I let him grow his hair out as much as he wanted."

Sasuke nodded at her explanation before his gaze turned back to the photo album. That time, he flipped the page himself.

"Aw! That's really cute!" Naruto shouted. In the photo, Itachi had a newborn, who he assumed was Sasuke, held inside his arms. Itachi was smiling at the camera while the baby seemed to be sleeping.

Sasuke slammed the book closed, his face red. "Mom! I don't want Naruto to see it!" he whined.

His mother sighed in exasperation. She grabbed onto her son's hands and pulled them, gently yet firmly, away. "It's not a big deal, Sasuke," she said. "I don't think Naruto-kun cares that you were once a baby."

"Yeah, Sasuke!" Naruto agreed while holding back giggles. "Someone actually cared enough about you to take pictures! I don't think there are any photos of myself as a baby, ya know!

For some reason Naruto didn't understand, both Sasuke and his mother froze. They stared at him, wide-eyed and quiet. Naruto fidgeted in his seat on the sofa. _Did I say something weird?_

Sasuke bit his lip as he seemed to consider a few things. He took his hands off of the photo album. "Fine," he muttered as he sat back down. "You can see. Just don't say anything!"

"Fine," Naruto promised. _I'll say so many things._

With a sigh, Sasuke's mother opened the album once again. "I took this one soon after Sasuke was born," she explained. "Itachi seemed to be really confused to see you, Sasuke. He wouldn't stop looking and poking at you the entire time."

"Really?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

She nodded. "Really. He couldn't take his eyes off of you. He promised me he would always take care of you." At her words, Sasuke turned his gaze back to the photo with a smile.

"You looked really cute, Sasuke," Naruto said.

Sasuke grunted in response. His smile vanished and his face turned pink once again.

"What happened? Did you fall down the stairs or something?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

Sasuke grunted again, angrier than before. With no idea how to respond, he looked away to stare at the wall, pouting. Naruto snickered and Sasuke's mother hummed to herself in amusement.

With that, they continued to flip through the pages. For Naruto, it was interesting to see the Uchiha family changing and growing. Itachi and Sasuke had been so small, looking helpless and fragile. It was strange to see Itachi as a young child, too. _I'm just so used to looking up at him._

They were looking at pictures of Itachi's graduation when the front door opened. Whoever was at the door had come in and started walking down the hall. Curious, the three of them turned their heads to see Itachi, who had stopped at the doorway.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke shouted in excitement as he ran toward his brother. He stopped and stood a few feet away.

"Sasuke," Itachi muttered as a greeting.

"Itachi," Sasuke's mother added. "You're home early."

"I am, Mother."

She smiled and waved a hand to Itachi. "Would you like to look at the photo album with us? We've gotten around to when you graduated from the Academy now."

Itachi shook his head. "No, thank you. I have a lot of work to do."

Despite her straight posture, Naruto noticed she felt rejected by her son's refusal. Her lips froze into a smile and her eyes glazed over.

Sasuke did not seem to notice. "Will you teach me a new technique, nii-san?" he asked, a pleading smile on his lips.

At that, Itachi turned to look down at his younger brother. He waved his hand in a gesture for Sasuke to step closer. When he did, Itachi flicked Sasuke on the forehead with his fingers, pushing him back instead.

"Sorry, Sasuke, some other time," he muttered. With that, he walked away toward what Naruto assumed was his bedroom. _That guy is so weird._

Sasuke stared at him walking away before returning to the sofa, more sullen than usual. Naruto shook his head. He had seen Itachi pulling the same trick countless times and Sasuke kept falling for it. _Does Sasuke like when Itachi pokes him or something?_

Sasuke's mother sighed before turning her attention back to the photo album. "Don't worry about your brother, Sasuke," she said. "He has a lot of work to do. He's a jounin. He has to do stuff not only for the village but also for the clan."

Sasuke nodded, still looking downcast. His eyes turned back toward the album, but he didn't seem to be really looking. Sasuke's mother seemed sadder too, her eyes glazing over the picture of a young Itachi holding Sasuke's hand. Naruto swallowed.

"How old is Sasuke in the picture?" he asked, trying to break the tension. To his relief, both Sasuke and his mother snapped out of their stupor as they stared at the photo.

"Almost two years old, I believe," she said. "Sasuke was still learning how to talk back then."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Conversation broke out as they looked through the rest of the album.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"I'll see you soon, Naruto-kun," Sasuke's mother said at the doorway. "Stay safe on your way back."

Naruto was putting on his shoes at the entrance. Sasuke had gone to do his chores, leaving Naruto and his mother alone to say goodbye. "Thank you, Auntie," he said. "I'll be careful! Don't worry!" He finished putting on his sandals and stood up to leave.

"Wait, Naruto-kun," she interrupted.

He turned back to look at her. She seemed to be mulling over something and her forehead was creased into a frown. Naruto stared at her curiously as he waited for her to speak.

"What is it, Auntie?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

She smiled at that, bending over to ruffle his hair. "You said you don't have any pictures of you as a baby, right, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't think so."

She looked down at him, biting her lip. "You will have pictures now, though," she promised. "And I'll make sure you're in many more."

He fidgeted, feeling his face warming up in embarrassment. "Oh... uh... thank you, Auntie." He looked down at his toes.

"I'll take care of you," she continued. "No matter what other people say."

"Other people?" _Did someone tell Auntie not to take care of me?_ He looked up at her, frowning in confusion.

She stared at him, meeting his eyes. Her face was serious and he could see a small frown on her forehead. "If you want things to change, you have to change them yourself," she said.

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Huh?"

Her frown deepened. "Sometimes if you want things to get better, you need to be the one forcing the change. Sometimes, revolution is the best option."

"Revolution?" Naruto was getting more and more confused.

She shook her head. At once, her frown disappeared and her lips quirked up in a smile. "Don't worry about it," she reassured him. "I just want you to know that I'll be here to help you, Naruto-kun. Don't be afraid to ask for anything."

"Oh... uh... okay." Naruto turned around to leave. He felt like a lot of things were going over his head.

"Goodbye, Auntie," he said as he opened the door.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun," she responded with a wave of her hand.

Naruto grinned at her before leaving. As he walked, he ran his hands over the envelope containing photographs. It was possibly the best gift he had ever gotten in his life.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I'll be publishing a one-shot story for Valentine's Day! Be on the lookout for that~~**

**Note 1: I went back and edited/re-edited every single chapter from before. The story has not changed at all so don't feel obligated to go back and reread it. The writing (hopefully) reads a little bit better now. HUGE thanks to Amationary and LegancyZ for helping me edit this monstrosity. I don't know how I could ever repay you. TT_TT**

**Note 2: I published a side story for this fic. It's titled "Two Doors to the Right." Check it out if you want. In Chapter 1, Shikamaru ruins everything!**

**As always, you can get in contact with me through Tumblr. My account is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: Naruto throws a leaf.**


	27. The Limit

**In which Naruto throws leaves and Utakata gets angry.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto glared at the small leaf in his hands, taking a break from the Leaf Concentration Exercise. He looked up to stare in envy at Hinata and Sasuke, leaning against a wooden post.

His friends were sparring. Hinata was fast but Sasuke was faster. However, because of her skills, Sasuke was pushed back, too afraid to be taken out by one of Hinata's strikes._ I wanna join them, but I can't figure out this dumb trick!_

He sighed and tried again. He called his chakra to himself and moved it all to stay on his forehead. Crossing his fingers, he tried to focus his chakra and keep the leaf glued to his face.

It didn't work. Instead, the leaf fluttered down, landing on his lap, mocking his failure. Furious, Naruto crushed the leaf in his hand and threw it as far as he could. To his annoyance, the wind carried it back to crash on his face. He pulled on his hair to suppress a scream of fury.

_Why can't I figure it out?_ He collapsed with his back on the ground, too angry to try again.

From the beginning of their second year at the Academy, Iruka had started teaching them the basics of ninjutsu. Their first task was supposed to be easy. All they had to do was focus chakra on their forehead in order to stick a leaf on their face. It was the first step before learning how to mold it for any kind of jutsu.

The first one to understand how to do it was the pink-haired girl, Sakura. For some reason, after the final exams, Sakura was acting differently than usual. She had started spending time with Ino and had begun wearing a red ribbon as a headband. She was also more confident, raising her hand often in class. However, she still lagged behind almost everyone else in the physical activities.

A short time after her, Ino and Sasuke had both figured out the trick. Then, Hinata had been able to hold the leaf not only to her forehead but also to her arms and legs. She had explained that the Gentle Fist style of fighting gave her an advantage in that regard. Shikamaru and Chouji had gotten the hang of it as well, although Shikamaru only tried when Iruka was looking in his direction.

Little by little, the rest of the class had learned the Leaf Concentration Exercise. They had laughed and pointed at their foreheads, starting contests for who could hold their leaf for longer. After two days of practice and training, Naruto had been the only one who could not figure out how to do it. While everyone else celebrated, sticking their leaves to different parts of their body, Naruto could only look on in jealousy.

Annoyed with his failure, Naruto glared up at the sky. He had tried asking the other jinchuuriki for advice, too, but they had only told him to keep practicing. _I guess it wasn't difficult for them either._

"Hey, loser, still can't figure it out?"

Naruto looked up and frowned. Sasuke was walking closer, wiping the sweat from his forehead. At his side, Hinata was taking sips of water, face red from exertion.

Naruto grimaced. "What's it to ya?"

"Hn. I'm just asking," Sasuke grumbled. Naruto felt a stab of guilt pierce through him. _I guess Sasuke's just trying to be nice in his own way._

"Not well," Naruto grudgingly admitted. "I can't figure it out! Do you think..." Naruto swallowed and watched as Hinata and Sasuke turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Do you think there's something wrong with me!? Am I sick?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and even Hinata looked skeptical at his side.

"Naruto-kun," she began. "If you were sick, you would already know. You just need to keep practicing. I'm sure you can do it!"

"You're just stupid," Sasuke said. "That's your sickness."

"What'd you say about me?" Naruto shouted as he leaped forward to fight.

Their spar began. Hinata took a step back with only a sigh of exasperation. Naruto growled and shouted at Sasuke, but inside he felt a sense of relief. Fighting with him was a lot easier than trying to figure out how to use chakra.

In the end, Naruto won the match, pinning Sasuke down with his elbow.

"Hn, at least you're good for something, loser," Sasuke muttered.

"Whatever." Naruto rolled his eyes but inside he was jumping for joy. _At least I'm good at this!_

Naruto stood up and allowed Sasuke to extricate himself from his grip. He waited for Sasuke to brush the dirt off before starting a new match. From the sidelines, Hinata sighed in annoyance before going to sit and watch the next fight.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Utakata-sensei, how much further until we get to the village?" Haku asked.

"Not much," Utakata answered. "Just a few more hours at this pace."

He heard Kasumi give out an exasperated sigh of annoyance, Haku grimacing at her side. To his relief, Kimimaro was silent and uncritical. Utakata shrugged, unbothered.

They were returning from their second C-ranked assignment: an escort mission to a mountain village. While the task was easy, it had been difficult to assure their client that he could trust a team of three children led by a teenager. _I'm just glad the client didn't know about our background, or it would have been even more troublesome._

"Can't we run back, sensei?" Kasumi whined. "I'm hungry!"

"And I want to see Zabuza-sama," Haku added.

Utakata sighed and kept walking, ignoring the children as best as he could. He didn't see the point of rushing back home.

"We'll be there by dinnertime," he assured them. "Now stop whining and keep walking."

Haku and Kasumi grumbled but they nodded their agreement. Kimimaro said nothing, his face as emotionless as usual. Utakata looked back at his student. _He's been even more quiet than usual. I wonder if he's all right._

"Hey, Kimimaro," he began. Kimimaro jumped at the mention of his name before his eyes turned to Utakata.

"Yes, sensei?" the boy asked. Utakata's eyes narrowed. Kimimaro's face looked more flushed than usual and he struggled to focus his eyes on anything. Utakata frowned.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Kimimaro nodded his head. "I'm fine, sensei."

"Hungry?"

Kimimaro bit his lip. "A little," he admitted.

Utakata gave him a long scrutinizing glance. He felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on why. _I guess if he's hungry we should hurry home._

Utakata sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "Let's get home faster. Are you ready to pick up the pace?" he asked.

Kasumi and Haku's eyes brightened. They nodded enthusiastically and cheered as they ran ahead of Utakata.

"Hey! Wait up!" Utakata yelled. "Stay in formation!" He leaped forward to take the lead once again.

Kasumi giggled, but she paused to let him get ahead. "How long till we're home, sensei?" she asked, Haku and Kimimaro at her sides. Her eyes were bright and mischievous, the spitting image of Yagura.

Utakata considered the question. He hummed thoughtfully to himself before coming up with an answer. "If we keep this speed..." he jumped over a fallen tree trunk. "We might get to the outskirts of the village in a little over an hour."

Kasumi cheered while Haku's lips quirked up in happiness. Only Kimimaro was unphased, his face as emotionless as usual.

The four of them kept running in silence for a few minutes until Utakata noticed Kimimaro lagging behind the other two. Utakata frowned to himself as he looked at his student from the corner of his eye. _Is he really just hungry?_

He didn't have to wait for an answer. At the moment when Utakata jumped over a small stream, Kimimaro collapsed, falling face-down on the mud.

"Kimimaro!" Utakata yelled. He stopped and ran back to where his student was lying on the ground. Less than a second later, Kasumi and Haku followed his lead. They hovered worriedly as Utakata picked Kimimaro up from the ground.

"Kimimaro," he said softly, placing his hand on Kimimaro's cheek. The boy was hot and breathing painfully. His face was pale and his forehead was furrowed in a frown. To his dismay, he refused to open his eyes.

"Kimimaro-kun!" Haku burrowed into his bag and pulled out a bottle of water before handing it over to Utakata. Utakata took it with thanks, pushing the bottle up to Kimimaro's lips. However, the boy refused to react and he remained unresponsive apart from his breathing.

"Shit," Utakata murmured under his breath. "This is bad. He needs a medic."

Utakata gazed up from his comatose student to look at the other two children. Kasumi's face was full of distress and she fidgeted with her hands, ready to do something. Haku, while appearing calm, had his eyes open wide and worried, staring down at Kimimaro.

Utakata picked up Kimimaro, slinging him across his back. To his dismay, the boy refused to react. He felt more like a doll than a real person. Dread formed in the pit of Utakata's stomach._ I need to get him to the hospital as fast as I can._

He bit his lip and stared at the two other children. While the village was nearby and his students were talented, he couldn't leave them to find their way back to Kirigakure alone.

"I'm sorry," Utakata said. "I'm going to travel as fast as I can. Try to keep up with my pace. If I'm going too fast, tell me and I will slow down."

Kasumi and Haku nodded. While he could see the fear and panic in their eyes, they were also full of determination. Utakata frowned to himself before jumping away. To his relief, Kasumi and Haku remained at his sides, Kimimaro on his back. While he could tell the speed was faster than what was comfortable, they didn't complain and they refused to lag behind.

Utakata arrived at the village in record time. He flashed his identification to the gate guards before leaping over the walls.

"It's an emergency!" he yelled at the disgruntled guards as they stared after him in disbelief. From the corner of his eye, he saw Haku bowing his head down apologetically as they ran toward the hospital.

A few minutes later, Utakata barged through the front door of the hospital, Haku and Kasumi at his heels. A group of nurses jumped back at his sudden appearance before returning to their tasks.

"I need a medic!" Utakata screamed. To his relief, he saw a short male nurse running toward them.

"What happened?" he asked, voice calm and professional.

"He collapsed while we were running back to the village," Utakata explained. He could hear Haku and Kasumi panting in exhaustion behind him. "The last thing he said is that he was a little hungry. It could be a sudden illness."

The nurse nodded. "I see. We can take it from here." He signaled something to the other workers. At once, a group of medics and nurses came out with a gurney. Utakata placed Kimimaro's body on it. With trepidation, he watched them pull the boy away. _Is it my imagination or is his breathing slower than usual?_

He bit his lip and breathed out, slowly and deliberately, before his other two students could see. He headed to the receptionist's desk, Haku and Kasumi at his sides.

As he explained the situation, he tried to project an aura of calm. Haku and Kasumi stood with him in silence, listening as Utakata explained what happened. When he was done, the nurse nodded before leading them down a hall. Silent and anxious, the three of them followed her as she took them to a waiting room.

Utakata sat down first. He stared at the wall with a grimace. He felt his heart beating faster and faster inside his chest as he awaited any news. Haku and Kasumi sat next to him, equally silent and worried. They said nothing and stared at the wall as they waited to hear about Kimimaro's condition.

"Haku, Kasumi," Utakata said, startling the two children out of their worry.

"Y-yes, sensei?" Kasumi asked. She bit her lip, fidgeting with her hands.

"You did a good job keeping pace with me," he said. "I'm proud of you. I'm sure it must have been difficult."

"Is Kimimaro-kun going to be okay?" Haku asked, his face intentionally calm.

Utakata almost lied. He wanted to reassure not only his other two students but also himself. But he couldn't do it.

"I don't know," Utakata admitted.

Kasumi's eyes filled with tears, which she wiped with her forearm. She sniffled before turning her eyes to stare at the wall. Haku bit his lip, staring down at his knees. He said nothing else. Utakata tore his eyes away from the sight of his worried students. He forced himself to breathe out, slow and deep. He leaned his head against the wall and stared up at the ceiling.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata was not sure how long they were forced to wait, silent and unmoving. None of them stirred, keeping their eyes focused determinedly on the wall, the ceiling, or their knees. Finally, after what seemed like days later, an older man appeared, wearing the uniform of a full medic.

Utakata bolted up from his chair. Kasumi and Haku joined him, standing at his heels.

"What is it? Is Kimimaro okay?" Utakata asked at once. "What was the problem?"

The medic walked closer. To Utakata's relief, he did not appear to have bad news. Utakata felt his heart rate begin to slow down.

"The boy is fine," the doctor said once he stood in front of them. "It was just exhaustion. He must have run out of chakra. We also found him dehydrated. I'm not sure how he could have been moving, considering the condition we found him in."

"What do you mean by 'just exhaustion'?" Utakata asked. "He was keeping up with our pace as we came back to the village!"

"Yes, he must have been pushing himself too much," the man said with a tired sigh before his face turned serious. "You should have been able to see that something was wrong," he scolded. "I can't believe he didn't say anything about wanting to get water or wanting to rest."

"He... he didn't," Utakata insisted as a chill ran down his spine. "He... never wants to tell us when something is wrong."

The medic raised an eyebrow before he sighed and began to walk away. "Well, whatever the case, your student is now awake. He's still exhausted and we're keeping him overnight for observation. You can go see him now. He's in room number 158."

Utakata nodded as he started to walk in the direction that the doctor had come from. Haku and Kasumi followed him. He was not sure if it was his imagination or if the two children were walking closer to his sides than usual.

As he walked, the feeling of worry was slowly replaced by anger and frustration. Furious, he walked faster, biting the inside of his cheek. Haku and Kasumi kept up effortlessly with his long strides, saying nothing.

They entered the hospital room a few seconds later. Kimimaro lay on a hospital bed, his body connected to a variety of tubes and wires that Utakata could not hope to understand. It made the boy look smaller and more vulnerable than ever before.

As soon as Kimimaro saw Utakata at the door, he sat up, straining with the effort. He smiled wanly when he saw the rest of his team.

"Kimimaro-kun!" Haku and Kasumi shouted in relief. They ran toward their teammate, standing next to his bed. Utakata remained at the entrance, more furious than he had been in a long time.

"Haku-kun, Kasumi-chan," Kimimaro whispered. His voice was weak and he struggled to talk, but he managed a smile for them.

"We were so worried about you!" Kasumi shouted. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she stood next to Kimimaro. Kimimaro's eyes widened, amazed to see someone crying over him. He raised a hand and placed it tentatively on her shoulder in comfort.

"Are you all right now, Kimimaro-kun?" Haku asked. He leaned forward until he was almost sitting on top of the mattress.

Kimimaro nodded feebly. "I'm okay now. I'm sorry for worrying you." Kasumi wiped the tears from her eyes and grinned at Kimimaro in relief.

Utakata clenched and unclenched his fists before stepping inside. He forced himself to breathe in and out, deep and slow, before he exploded, closing his eyes. Feeling as calm as he could considering the circumstances, he opened his eyes to glare down at his students, a grimace on his face.

"Kimimaro," he said. At once, the friendly conversation stopped as the three children turned to him.

"S-sensei?" Kimimaro stuttered. He grasped the blanket in his fists as he stared at Utakata, eyes wide and afraid. Utakata bit the inside of his cheek and swallowed, jaw clenched. He looked at both Haku and Kasumi, who stared at him in a combination of fear and confusion.

"Haku, Kasumi... Kimimaro," he said coldly. His three students startled at his tone as they turned their gaze up to him.

"What is it, Utakata-sensei?" Kasumi asked, brave as always.

"I want you to listen to me," Utakata said, keeping himself from yelling through sheer force of will. "A shinobi that endangers the mission by refusing to be honest about their condition does not deserve to be a shinobi at all."

The three children flinched at his words but said nothing. Utakata breathed out deeply once again, closing his eyes as he considered what to say next. When he opened his eyes, all three of his students were focused on him, attentive and anxious.

"You endangered the mission," Utakata said while focusing on Kimimaro, eyes cold and judgemental. "We found ourselves in an easily-avoidable situation because you refused to say anything about your condition. You put the lives of not only yourself at risk, but also your teammates and that I cannot forgive."

"I-I..." Kimimaro stuttered before looking down at his hands. He swallowed.

Utakata pushed down the urge to scream in frustration. "When you don't tell your teammates how tired you are, or how thirsty, you are only putting lives and the mission at risk. If you are too afraid to tell me, then, to be honest, you don't deserve to be my student."

Kimimaro flinched. He grabbed onto his blanket more tightly, grasping it in his hand. He stared down at his knees, his bangs hiding part of his face. He bit his lip, chastened.

Utakata turned his attention to the other two children. Their faces were pale, unnerved by Utakata's uncharacteristic anger.

"If any of you three lie about your health during a mission, I will take away your position as a shinobi," Utakata threatened. "I don't care what the problem is. You're hungry. You're thirsty. You need a break. Whatever the issue is, I need to know. Do you understand?"

His students nodded, looking away from Utakata.

"Do you understand?" he repeated louder. They nodded again, more frantically than before.

Utakata sighed. He crossed his arms in front of his chest in a combination of relief and anger.

"Good. Now, Kasumi. Haku." The boy and the girl jumped at the mention of their names. "Get us something to eat," he ordered. "It's late. Take some of my money. I need to speak with Kimimaro in private."

"Yes, sensei," Kasumi said.

She left Kimimaro's side with only a backward glance. Haku followed a short distance behind her. They said nothing else before taking Utakata's offered money. They departed, leaving Utakata and Kimimaro alone in the hospital room.

Utakata stared at his student. While he had managed to get out some of his anger earlier, he was still furious. The boy said nothing to defend himself as he grabbed onto the blanket, holding onto it like it was the only thing that existed. He waited for Kimimaro to speak, but the boy only stared down at his knees.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Utakata asked, making Kimimaro flinch. "We got lucky this time. Your negligence could have gotten not just yourself killed, but also your entire team. Do you want to see Kasumi and Haku dead?"

Kimimaro shook his head, still silent as he stared at his knees.

"Is it difficult to say you're tired and need a break?" Utakata continued. "Why didn't you say anything?" He walked to his student's side, towering over Kimimaro as he waited impatiently for his answer.

"I... I didn't want to bother you," Kimimaro whispered.

"And now you've done more than bother us," Utakata commented with a snort.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could take them back. Kimimaro's eyes flooded with tears. He bent forward, pressing his face on top of the blanket. Utakata felt his jaw drop in surprise. He has known Kimimaro for nearly a year and he has yet to see him crying. He took a step forward to stand next to the boy.

"I'm sorry!" Kimimaro sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. But please... I can't..."

Utakata couldn't stand by and do nothing. His righteous anger had vanished. Biting his lip with guilt, he sat on the hospital bed next to Kimimaro. The boy startled at the sudden close contact, but he was too weak to move away.

Careful not to disturb any of the tubes and wires, he wrapped his arm around Kimimaro's shoulders. The boy protested for a second before letting Utakata pull him in. He cried, leaving trails of tears on Utakata's flak jacket.

Utakata tightened his hug, saying nothing as he allowed the boy to let all his emotions out of his system. Guiltily, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to offer as much comfort as he could. _He's already dehydrated, crying is probably not a good idea._

After a while, Kimimaro's sobs subsided and he quieted, although Utakata kept a comforting arm over him. They sat together, silent in each other's company.

"Please don't kick me out, sensei," Kimimaro whispered into Utakata's midsection.

"Huh?" Utakata was startled by the sudden request. "Kick you out? Why would I kick you out?" he asked in confusion.

"You... you said I don't deserve to be your student," Kimimaro muttered. He broke out into fresh sobs. "A-are you gonna kick me out?"

_I guess it would seem like that. _Utakata sighed and shook his head. He tightened his grip around Kimimaro and the boy gratefully let himself be pulled in. "No, Kimimaro," he said. "Even if I stopped being your teacher, I would never, as you said, 'kick you out.'"

"N-never?" Kimimaro stuttered through his sobs. He pulled himself back from Utakata's hug to peer up at him, eyes red and wet.

"Never," Utakata confirmed, emphasizing the word.

"Oh." Kimimaro's eyes widened. He blushed and looked away from Utakata, although he didn't move away.

Utakata sighed. _What a pain in the ass it is to be a teacher. I should buy Harusame-sensei a present as thanks for putting up with me. He deserves it._

Kimimaro lifted up his arm and rubbed his face with his sleeve. He looked up at Utakata, tears still dripping down his face.

"Do you mean it, sensei?" he asked. He trembled, looking more vulnerable than he ever had before. He looked as desperate as he had the first time they had trained together. _What's the point of me being born?_

"I do," Utakata answered without hesitation. He pulled Kimimaro in for another hug. That time, the boy reciprocated, wrapping his arms around his midsection as best as he could considering the wires connected to his body. They held onto each other until they heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Utakata asked while Kimimaro jumped at the sudden sound.

"It's us, Utakata-sensei," Kasumi's familiar voice said. "We have food. Can we come in?"

Utakata glanced down at Kimimaro, who had moved back to a seated position and started rubbing at his face with a forearm. His face was splotchy and his eyes were red. He knew only an idiot would be unable to connect the dots and see that Kimimaro had been crying.

He groaned to himself. "One second," he shouted back.

He left Kimimaro's side. He headed to the bedside table and took a tissue. Gently, he wiped Kimimaro's face, although he knew the effort was useless. _At the very least he won't look like a complete mess to his teammates._

Task done, he turned his attention back to his waiting students. "It's fine, you can come in," he yelled.

Not a second later, the door slammed open. Haku and Kasumi barged in, bringing in the wonderful smell of food. In the back of his mind, Utakata's stomach rumbled and he remembered how hungry he truly was. _We haven't eaten anything since noon. It must be close to midnight by now._

"What did you get?" he asked, voice calm and steady.

Kasumi's eyes widened, obviously glad that Utakata was no longer furious. She grinned as she placed a bag full of takeout containers on the bedside table.

"Just some soba," Haku said as he walked next to her. "We also got some snacks for later. Some yogurt, too. For... Kimimaro."

Utakata nodded and turned his attention back to Kimimaro. To his relief, the boy, while still weak, no longer looked at the edge of breaking. Instead, Kimimaro smiled, although it was small and faint.

"Thank you," Kimimaro said.

"You're welcome," Haku said with a kind smile and bright eyes. He sat down at the foot of the bed. He handed Kimimaro a take-out bowl before opening his own. Kasumi joined him on the other side of the mattress with her own food.

Utakata took the last one for himself and sat at the empty chair in the corner. He remained silent while the three children talked. After the earlier panic, they chatted animatedly, discussed whatever came to mind. Utakata sighed in relief._ Well, at least nothing permanent happened this time._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto walked toward the small dock of the river near the Uchiha quarters.

Sasuke stood at the edge, back turned as he moved through the hand signs for the Great Fireball Jutsu. When he finished, he exhaled a small amount of fire instead of the fireball he wanted. He snorted in frustration.

_Still better than anything I can do, though._

Sasuke had spent every waking minute of the past four days trying to get the hang of his clan's technique. Naruto and Hinata had been training without him since then. However, Hinata could only spend a few hours after school training before she had to go home, leaving Naruto alone.

Naruto was not going to say anything, but he was starting to miss spending time with Sasuke. On the bright side, Sasuke's mother had taken note of his loneliness and had begun teaching him new recipes.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, making the other boy startle in surprise.

Sasuke turned around with an annoyed frown. "What do you want, loser?"

"Still haven't learned the jutsu?" Naruto joined Sasuke's side at the edge of the dock, hands in his pockets.

Sasuke looked away. "Don't remind me."

Naruto sighed. "Well, at least you can do something," he whined. "I still can't figure out how to stick a dumb leaf to my face. I mean... I can feel my chakra, so I know I have it, ya know? Just can't use it!"

Defeated, he sat down at the edge, kicking his legs back and forth above the water. He looked down at his reflection. _Almost a month and I'm still the only one that can't do the task. Stupid leaf concentration thing._

He heard Sasuke sigh before sitting down at his side. "I don't get why you can't do it either, Naruto," he conceded. "I don't know how to explain it. It's easy."

"Do you think..." Naruto swallowed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke turn to look at him. "Do you think there's something wrong with my chakra?" Naruto didn't think he could become a shinobi without chakra, let alone the Hokage.

He saw Sasuke shift uncomfortably. While the idea had seemed laughable at first, the possibility was becoming more likely by the day. "I don't know," Sasuke admitted. "I never heard of a ninja without chakra before. Maybe you don't have enough chakra to hold a leaf yet?"

"Maybe," Naruto agreed with a shrug.

_Or maybe the Kyuubi has something to do with it. _As time passed and he still could not stick a leaf to his face, Naruto was beginning to suspect the Kyuubi of interfering with his chakra. He knew the Ichibi liked to mess with Gaara. He wondered if the Kyuubi was doing the same thing.

With nothing else to say, Naruto and Sasuke sat side by side, despondent in their own failures.

"Oh, right, I remembered why I came!" Naruto bolted up and looked down at Sasuke with a grin. "Auntie told me to give you this!" He rummaged into his pocket before pulling out a jar of ointment and some bandages.

Sasuke blinked up at him before taking the offering. "Oh, thanks," he murmured, opening the jar. He began to rub it over his burned face and hands.

"Auntie said you're too distracted," Naruto scolded. "She says you get so focused on what you're doing, you forget about everything else, ya know!"

Sasuke snorted but didn't dispute Naruto's words. "Look who's talking. You're the same."

Naruto grinned before continuing with his message. "Auntie also told me to tell you that you need to cover the wounds completely," he ordered. "Or else they won't heal!"

Sasuke sighed and unwrapped a bandage to put on his mouth. "It's not like everyone has a healing kekkei genkai. At least you have that."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he took an involuntary step back. "K-kekkei genkai?" he stuttered. "W-why do you say that?"

"You never noticed it?" Sasuke tilted his head to the side, looking up at him with a frown. "You heal faster than anyone else I've seen. You never stay hurt for long. It's a kekkei genkai, isn't it?"

Naruto swallowed. "Well... maybe. I... I wouldn't know if it is," he lied. "I... don't know my family, ya know."

Sasuke frowned. "I suppose. But it's still convenient to heal quickly."

"I guess." Naruto shrugged, hoping Sasuke wouldn't pry. He felt a confession threatening to burst out but he bit his tongue to hold it in. _Fuu's friends already abandoned her. If I tell Sasuke about the Kyuubi, he won't wanna be my friend anymore. Hinata, too._

Sasuke stared him up and down. "What is it, loser?" he asked. "My family has a kekkei genkai. If you have one too, then maybe you'll actually be able to keep up with me."

Naruto was snapped out of his worries. "Yeah, yeah, if you say so," he muttered with a snort. "I don't need one to get stronger than you, ya know!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and stood up, holding the jar out for Naruto to take back. "We'll see. Figure out the Leaf Concentration Exercise and then maybe it'll be even."

Naruto grinned and he saw Sasuke smirk in response. "Sure!" he said. "Anyway, I'll see you later. Auntie is teaching me how to make omurice!"

"See you, loser."

At that, Sasuke turned back to look out at the dock. With his back to Naruto, he tried the jutsu one more time. Naruto wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but the ball of fire looked bigger than the last time.

Naruto forced himself to push down the jealousy threatening to explode out of him. He turned around and walked back to Sasuke's house, deep in thought.

He had heard some of the jinchuuriki talking about the Kyuubi before. They had said it was strong and powerful, but also arrogant and vindictive. Years ago, the other jinchuuriki had told him to hold off on talking to it as long as he could. But with Sasuke already advancing so much in just a few months, Naruto needed to learn why he couldn't use his chakra.

He bit his lip and grasped at his shirt, over his stomach. _I need to talk to the Kyuubi. But first... I need to know how._

**O-O-O-O-O**

"So then, I tried to use the fourth tail, but I lost control and punched the wall instead," Fuu recounted with a giggle. "And then the wall exploded into tiny fragments! Takumi-sensei looked at the edge of tears, but Chomei was laughing and Mariko-sensei thought it looked funny, too! Anyway, so now we don't have a wall in our house. A lot of bugs have gotten in already. Takumi-sensei doesn't like it, but I think-"

Naruto nodded absently, not sure what to say to Fuu's blabbering. They were lying with their stomachs on the floor, conjured paper and pencils in front of them. A few weeks earlier, Gaara had shown off his drawing abilities, making both Naruto and Fuu jealous. Since then, they had spent their evenings practicing. While neither was particularly bad, Gaara was still better than both of them combined. _Probably because he has more time to practice._

Earlier in the evening, Gaara and Roshi had joined them for a bit before disappearing, leaving Naruto alone with Fuu. Naruto had thought about asking for Fuu's advice on the Kyuubi but had decided against it. While Fuu already had contact with the Nanabi, Chomei, he wasn't sure what kind of advice she could give him. He needed to get rid of Fuu and talk to the older jinchuuriki instead.

"Oh... uh... Fuu nee-chan," Naruto interrupted.

Fuu stopped her diatribe to meet Naruto's eyes, tilting her head to the side. "What is it, Naruto-kun?" she asked with a bright smile.

"I'm uh... tired," he lied as he stood up, pretending to yawn. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep early, ya know. Goodbye."

Fuu grunted in assent and nodded, a grin on her face. "Sure! Good night, Naruto-kun!" She stood up as well, allowing their art supplies to disappear. She walked in front of him and placed a small kiss on his forehead.

"Good night, nee-chan!" Naruto hugged her in return.

With that, she disappeared, leaving Naruto holding onto empty air. He blinked. _That was easier than I thought._

He didn't wait any longer before running to Roshi's Door.

'_Mama?'_ he asked tentatively.

He got an immediate response. _'What is it, Naruto-kun?' _Roshi asked.

Naruto bit his lip before answering. _'I need to talk to you. Papa and Yagura-san, too. Can you come with me?'_

Naruto felt a wave of concern emanating from Roshi's Door. _'One second.'_

At that, Roshi appeared next to Naruto, his eyebrows creased in worry. He seemed to relax when he saw Naruto completely calm and unharmed. "What happened?"

Naruto shuffled his feet. "It's kinda hard to explain," he began. "And I want to talk to Papa and Yagura-san, too."

"All three of us?" Roshi raised a confused eyebrow. "Is it important?"

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically before running to Han's Door. "I'll explain when everyone is here!" he called out as he ran.

Roshi sighed. "Sure, Naruto-kun. I'll get Yagura for you." He began walking away toward a door marked with the kanji for the number three.

Naruto grinned in return before placing his hand on top of Han's Door.

'_Papa! I need to talk to you!' _Naruto said. _'Can you come here?'_

He heard Han sigh. _'Are you ever going to stop calling me that? Aren't you too old for that, anyway?'_

Naruto giggled to himself. _'Never! Anyway, can you come? Mama is already here.'_

Han sighed again. _'Sure.'_

A second later, he stood behind Naruto, towering over him. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked, voice calm and collected as usual.

Naruto scratched the top of his head. "It's kinda hard to explain..." he said. "And I want to talk to Mama and Yagura-san, too."

"Why do you call him Yagura-san when I'm still 'Papa'?" Han asked, exasperated.

Naruto shrugged, not knowing how to respond. He had been calling Han 'Papa' for so long, using a different name for him would be weird. He grabbed onto Han's hand and pulled him away and toward the center of the Room, where Roshi and Yagura were already waiting, sitting on the floor.

Han and Naruto joined them, forming a circle of jinchuuriki.

"So what's the deal, kid?" Yagura asked with a yawn, lounging back on the floor. "Couldn't you have talked to us earlier? I was doing something important!"

"You were sleeping," Han said.

"Exactly." Yagura rolled his eyes, collapsing with his back on the floor. Han and Roshi both groaned in exasperation.

"You said you would explain when we were all here," Roshi said, trying to refocus on the conversation. "What's so important that you needed to talk to us alone, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, uh..." Naruto stared down at his knees. "It's kinda an embarrassing question, ya know..."

At that, Yagura sat up, a teasing smirk on his face. "Oh, the day has finally come!" he said cheerfully. "So you finally want to learn where babies come from, huh? You see, when a man gets certain urges, he-"

Naruto blinked. _Urges?_ Before Yagura could explain anything else, Han slapped his hand over Yagura's mouth. He shook his head. "Let Naruto talk or I'll kick your ass," he threatened. "He's too young to learn about that anyway."

Yagura rolled his eyes but nodded. Satisfied, Han pulled his hand away.

_Wait, now I wanna know! Where do babies come from? _Naruto shook his head to push away the thought. He had more important things to discuss.

"Fine," Yagura muttered, previous cheerfulness gone. "What's the problem, Naruto-kun?"

"Ya know how I can't figure out the Leaf Concentration Exercise?" he asked, shifting nervously on the floor. He saw the three jinchuuriki nod, frowns on their faces. Naruto gulped. "Well... I was thinking... what if... the Kyuubi is messing with my chakra somehow? Cause the Ichibi does that to Gaara, ya know?"

In an instant, the mood of the Room transformed. The three men grimaced. Han shook his head while Yagura sighed and Roshi clenched his hands into fists. They had not looked so serious since Yagura had almost died. Naruto gulped and waited for them to speak.

"It's possible," Yagura eventually admitted. "But, if he is, it's a very precarious situation. I'm not sure what you could do about it, given your age. You're still just a kid."

Naruto pouted. "Hey! I'm almost eight!" he argued. "Fuu nee-chan talked to Chomei-san when she was only ten!"

Han sighed, frown deepening. "Yeah, but Chomei is Chomei. The Kyuubi is... the Kyuubi."

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head to the side.

Han closed his eyes and hummed to himself, considering how to explain.

"The Kyuubi is a fucking asshole, Naruto-kun," Yagura answered.

"Yagura!" Roshi shouted.

"What?"

"Language!"

Yagura shrugged, seemingly unimpressed by Roshi's tone. He focused his attention back on Naruto. "The truth is," he began. "That the other bijuu don't have _any _good things to say about the Kyuubi."

Han grunted in assent. "I've heard. Kokuo-san says he's the only one of her siblings she can't stand. She told me she even prefers Shukaku's company."

"Same with Son Goku," Roshi added. "Although he said he wasn't sure if Shukaku or Kurama were worse. Whenever he starts complaining about them, it takes him a long time to calm down. Kurama is one of his favorite subjects to whine about, though."

"Kurama?" Naruto frowned. "Who's Kurama?"

"Oh, right." Roshi chuckled to himself. "Kurama is the true name of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Son Goku always refers to the bijuu by their full names, so I guess I picked up the habit." He scratched the back of his neck bashfully.

"Isobu says he is, and I quote, 'a fucking arrogant dick.' Which is saying something because Isobu almost never curses." Yagura lounged back on the floor, staring at Naruto with a pensive frown on his face. "I thought it was dangerous enough when Chomei wanted to meet Fuu. I don't want you to meet the Kyuubi until you're at least a genin. Who knows what it could do?"

Han exhaled, slow and heavy, before adding his own thoughts. "Kokuo-san told me the Kyuubi has always been overbearing and manipulative," he said. "It was the first bijuu created by the Sage of Six Paths. Because of that, he believes he is the strongest of the nine. I'm afraid of what could happen if you met him."

"I think it's a bad idea to talk to it, Naruto-kun," Roshi added.

"You really shouldn't," Yagura finished with a sigh.

Naruto nodded before looking down at his knees, downcast. He balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. "But..." He paused to swallow. "But if I can't figure out how to control my chakra, I won't be able to graduate at all."

To Naruto's annoyance, he felt tears beginning to form behind his eyes. He pushed them back through sheer force of will. Quiet fell in the Room. From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw the three men sharing uneasy glances.

"If you truly want to talk to the Kyuubi, there's nothing I can do to stop you, Naruto-kun," Yagura said after a long pause. Naruto clenched his jaw again. "But you are correct in that it's possible it has been able to affect your chakra. And that you might be able to figure it out if you talk to it."

Naruto looked up at that. He gulped. "You... you mean that?"

Yagura nodded, although he still seemed uneasy about the idea. "I do."

"Take one more day to see if you can gain access to your chakra," Han ordered. "If by tomorrow night you still can't, we'll tell you how to get in contact with the Kyuubi."

Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief. He smiled, although he still felt uneasy. "Yes, Papa, I'll try."

Han grunted in annoyance. "What did I say about calling me that?"

"Sorry, Papa," Naruto apologized, beaming up at the man. Han sighed in exasperation while Yagura and Roshi struggled to hold back their laughter.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: A sex ed lesson with Yagura would be more explicit than necessary. **

**I'm so sorry that this chapter took a bit longer than usual. I'll try to get back to weekly updates. Also, in case you didn't notice, there are now TWO chapters of the spin-off story "Two Doors to the Right." Please read chapter 2 if you want to read about 4-year-old Itachi crying after getting a haircut.**

**If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: foxy conversations.**


	28. Reassurances

**In which Yugito goes on a mission, Naruto yells at a fox, and Fuu braids hair.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Yugito-san, Darui, C." A stared at each of them in turn before leaning back in his chair. "I have a mission for you three."

Yugito resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Yeah, that's why we came here. _To avoid offending her leader, she instead glared at B, who stood behind the Raikage, doing some sort of dance.

"What's the mission, Raikage-sama?" C asked, prim and proper.

"I hope it's not a dull one, Boss," Darui added from C's side, his eyes focused on A.

"Are you familiar with Shiokaze Village?" the Raikage asked. Yugito and C nodded while Darui shook his head.

"Shiokaze is a small village located near our border with the Land of Hot Water," he began to explain. "It's a new village, founded by-"

"Shiokaze is a sight, the people won't bite!" B interrupted. "Prepare for the breeze, you'll want to say please! The people down there, they'll fade to thin air, you dumbass phonies!"

Yugito blinked before staring at B in surprise. _Are people going missing in Shiokaze?_

She shifted her gaze to her companions. Next to her, both C and Darui looked confused. C tilted his head and frowned while Darui raised an eyebrow, hands in his pockets. Yugito sighed to herself. _Is it bad that I can understand what B is saying?_

A groaned. Distracted, he shoved his elbow into B's side. "Who are you calling a dumbass phony!?" he shouted. "Now be quiet before I make you leave!"

"Yes, Brother," B whimpered, rubbing at his hurt stomach. Yugito sighed again, shaking her head.

"What were you saying, Raikage-sama?" Yugito asked, trying to get the conversation back on target.

"As I was saying, Shiokaze Village is located near our border with the Land of Hot Water," he explained. "It's a new settlement, only seven or eight years old. It was founded mostly by refugees from the Kirigakure civil wars and the Third Shinobi War. While a few of them returned to the Land of Water once leadership changed, most remained in Shiokaze."

"I see, Boss," Darui muttered. "Why not go back, though? The civil war ended... what? Four years ago?"

"Their lives are better in the Land of Lightning," A said. "In exchange for citizenship, they send their promising children to the Academy here in Kumogakure. A few of them have already become part of our normal shinobi forces."

"So what's the problem with people vanishing, Raikage-sama?" Yugito asked. C and Darui looked at her, eyes wide open in surprise.

"You catch on fast, Yugito-san," A complimented.

Yugito bowed her head. "Thank you, sir." _Believe me, understanding what B is saying is more of a curse than a blessing._

"We received reports that a few people have gone missing under mysterious circumstances," the Raikage continued. "At first, we thought they were a string of unlucky coincidences. Shiokaze is located on a volatile coast. It's not unheard of for people, especially children, to go swimming and drown. The village is also surrounded by thick forests and even adults can get lost if they take the wrong turn."

C's frown deepened. "So it's mostly children who have gone missing?" he asked.

A nodded, face serious. Behind him, even B looked more somber than usual. Yugito bit her lip. Perhaps she had gotten too attached to the youngest jinchuuriki because she had to suppress a shiver.

"Who are the people that have vanished, Raikage-sama?" C asked. "Is there anything tying them together?"

"Yes," A answered. "Almost all of them were training to be shinobi, were retired shinobi, or came from shinobi families. To make it more suspicious, a few of them also had kekkei genkai."

"Kekkei genkai?" Darui repeated. "You mean..."

A grunted in assent, his scowl deepening as everyone in the office connected the dots. If people, especially children with kekkei genkai, were vanishing, it could only mean bad news. _Who is taking them though? And why?_

"Here is the list of everyone that has disappeared so far," A continued. "Your mission is to protect Shiokaze village and find the cause of these disappearances. You are to eliminate the threat." He stared at them, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Yes, sir," the three of them answered at the same time.

A grunted in approval before placing an envelope on top of his desk. "Inside, you'll find the names and descriptions of every single person that has vanished. Use it to help you track down the cause."

"When shall we leave, Raikage-sama?" Yugito asked as she took the envelope and tucked it into her pocket.

"Tomorrow morning," the Raikage answered, leaning back on his chair. "Yugito-san will be the team captain. Try to come back as soon as you can. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," they said.

A smirked in approval. "Good, in that case, you are dismissed. Good luck."

Yugito, Darui, and C bowed their heads down at their leader before turning around to leave the room. As they left, Yugito heard B pleading with his brother for permission to join them on the mission. She shook her head and groaned. _The Raikage is never going to let you out of the village, B. You're too conspicuous._

With the door closed behind her, Yugito turned her attention back to her teammates. "We leave tomorrow at eight o'clock from the main village gate," she ordered. "Prepare as if we're going on an extended mission. At ease."

"Yes, Boss," C and Darui said at the same time.

Yugito hummed to herself in satisfaction. _Good, they're actually listening to me._ She waved goodbye before leaving the administration building and heading home for the night.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Do you have everything, Kitten?" Samui asked as they walked to the main village gate holding hands.

"Yes, Samui," Yugito answered, an exasperated smile on her face.

"Weapons?"

"Yes."

"Rations?"

"Yes."

"Makeup?"

"Always."

Samui sighed and took a step closer, grabbing onto Yugito's arm. "I'm going to miss you, Kitten. How long do you think the mission will take?" she asked.

"Not sure," Yugito admitted. "I've prepared for a long-term mission, just in case." They lapsed back into silence, enjoying each other's warmth in the morning chill. Neither of them said anything until they arrived at the main gate.

"Ah, are C and Darui your teammates? They're cool," Samui said.

Yugito turned to look. As expected, C and Darui were already at the gate, present and punctual. C was saying something while Darui leaned against a gate pillar, hands in his pockets. While on first impression he seemed bored, Yugito could tell he was paying close attention to everything his friend said.

"Good morning," Yugito greeted as she separated from Samui, ready to begin the mission.

"Good morning," the two men said in return, turning their full attention to Yugito.

"Are we leaving now, Boss?" Darui asked.

"Boss?" Samui raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Since when are you 'Boss'?"

"Samui! They're being respectful," Yugito retorted. "This is our first time working together and I've been assigned as the team captain. It's not a big deal."

"Can I call you 'Boss,' then?" Samui teased as her smirk widened. "Or do you like being called 'Kitten' more? I don't mind changing what I call you.."

Yugito felt her face heat up involuntarily. She was glad Killer B was far away or she would have never lived it down.

"We need to go," she ordered, not wanting to dignify Samui's teasing. "The village is not far, but I'd like to arrive there by lunchtime."

"Of course, Captain," Darui muttered, biting his lip, eyes full of amusement.

C nodded, looking like he was holding back laughter. Yugito sighed. _At least they didn't call me 'Boss' again._

Yugito turned her attention back to Samui. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Samui," she said. "Take care of Mio-chan."

"I will," Samui promised. With no hesitation, she took a step forward until her face was in front of Yugito's.

Yugito didn't miss her chance, leaning forward and placing her lips on top of Samui's. She closed her eyes, letting one hand rest behind her girlfriend's neck and another at her waist. Samui's lips parted and Yugito took the opportunity, letting their tongues meet.

After a few seconds, she pulled back reluctantly, biting Samui's lip gently as their embrace ended. "I'll see you soon, Samui."

"I'll see you in my dreams, Kitten," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Come back soon."

"I will. Don't worry about that." Yugito grinned at her girlfriend and waved farewell. With that finished, she turned to look at her teammates, face serious once again. "Well?" she asked. "Are you two ready?"

Her teammates nodded in response. With a hum of satisfaction, Yugito leaped forward, standing outside of the village limits. She began running, feeling Darui and C close behind at her heels.

"Have either of you ever been to Shiokaze Village?" she asked. They shook their heads. She hummed in deep thought. _I guess that's to be expected. It's pretty new._

"Have you been to Shiokaze village before, Yugito-san?" C asked curiously. "I know you are familiar with it, but..."

"Only once, around three years ago," she answered. "It was only for resupplying, though. I remember where it's located. I'll take the lead."

"Sounds like a plan," C said. At his side, Darui nodded. Yugito smiled, satisfied to have respectful teammates for once. _Last time, they practically threw a coup when I gave them orders._

Mostly in silence, they left Kumogakure behind as they traveled South. As Yugito had planned, they arrived at the outskirts of the village in the early afternoon.

They entered the village and walked down the main street. Looking around, Yugito could see how the first disappearances had been mistaken for freak accidents. Shiokaze was in a dangerous location: partially hidden and protected by tall cliffs. She saw a lot of small, new buildings built close to the water, strong waves crashing against the coast. On the opposite side of the ocean was a vast and lush forest, trees taller than they had any right to be. She could see how a person, especially a child, would get disoriented and die or get lost forever.

"We'll look for the Village Leader first," Yugito ordered. "They should have more useful information that we can use. I remember the village hall is that way." She pointed to a large building close to the coast.

Her subordinates nodded and together they began to walk down the streets of Shiokaze. They passed very few people on the way. The ones they saw traveled in groups and kept their heads down. A couple of villagers were brave enough to stare at them but none said anything.

"This is a dull welcome," Darui muttered, a worried frown on his face.

C nodded his agreement. "I guess they're paranoid about the disappearances. It's not just children who have gone missing, after all."

"It wasn't like this before," Yugito added with a frown. She remembered Shiokaze from the past. Despite being founded by refugees, the people had been friendly and welcoming. They had showered her with open smiles when she entered and waved goodbye when she left. She had seen children playing in the streets, largely unsupervised.

They arrived at the community hall, crossing the entirety of the village in a few minutes. Yugito knocked on the door.

"Come in," an exhausted voice answered.

Yugito didn't waste any time. She slid the door open and walked in, C and Darui close behind her. Inside the room was an older-looking man sweeping the floor. His hair was long and grey except for the top of his head, which was completely bald. He held himself with exhausted dignity. The man looked at Yugito, C, and Darui at the entrance before beckoning them to move closer.

"Good afternoon," he greeted, staring at their hitai-ate with curiosity.

"Good afternoon, sir," she began. "The Raikage has sent us. He told us there have been some... disappearances recently."

At that, the man's eyes widened in excitement and his back straightened. "Really? You have come to help?" he asked, voice pleading.

"We have, sir," C answered. "My name is C. This is our captain Yugito and this is Darui. How may we be of help?"

The old man sighed, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He seemed to consider C's words. "It's a bit of a sad story," he answered. "Come. We can talk in my office. It's more comfortable there. I'll tell you everything you need to know."

**O-O-O-O-O**

"If the fox tries anything weird, run away at once, Naruto-kun," Roshi ordered, his voice full of worry. "I'd rather you never become a shinobi than learn the fox did something to you."

"Don't do anything that the Kyuubi orders you to do, either," Han added. "If he asks you to take off a seal or release it, run away as fast as possible."

"If he starts bothering you, stand up to him and call him a 'fucking asshole,'" Yagura ended. It was a testament to how worried Roshi was that he didn't bother to correct Yagura's language.

Naruto gulped and grunted his assent, overwhelmed with advice.

The more he talked to the three older jinchuuriki, the more he second-guessed himself. But earlier that day, he had gone to the dock to remind Sasuke to tend to his wounds again. To his dismay, the ball of fire had been much larger than from the day before. _I can't keep up with Sasuke if I can't even use chakra!_

"Are you really, _truly _sure about this, Naruto-kun?" Roshi asked again, his eyes full of worry.

Naruto nodded, not sure if he was trying to reassure himself or Roshi more. "I'm sure! I'll make the dumb fox back off if it's the last thing I do, ya know?"

His words seemed to have no effect on the others and they only looked more nervous than before. Roshi bit his lip while Han crossed his arms in front of his chest. Sandwiched between the two, Yagura looked relaxed, but his clenched jaw betrayed his nervousness.

"I want you to run away if the fox so much as tries to get you to do something," Roshi ordered. "You can always go back and talk to it later, Naruto-kun."

"I'll be fine, Mama!" Naruto said with another nod. "I already know what to look out for!"

Roshi's frown did not disappear. "I know, but... still, Naruto... be safe."

Grinning, Naruto wrapped his arms around Roshi's waist. He hadn't felt the need to hug him in years, but he wanted his reassurance. He heard Roshi sigh before returning the hug, wrapping his arms around Naruto.

"Stay safe, Naruto," Han added, moving to stand closer and placing his hand on top of Naruto's head.

"What he said," Yagura muttered, squeezing his shoulder.

Naruto grinned. "It's gonna be okay, ya know!" With that, he disappeared from the Room, the three older jinchuuriki still staring at him in worry.

A second later, he reappeared in a large tunnel that looked like a sewer, standing in very shallow water. He blinked. _Why is my mind a sewer? Fuu nee-chan said hers looked like her school!_

Nervous, he wrapped his arms across his chest in a hug. He swallowed before starting to walk down the tunnel toward what he felt was a source of chakra. _Just gotta remember what Yagura-san said... Follow my instincts..._

It didn't take long for him to reach the end, a barred door blocking his progress. He approached it and made as if to push it open, but it swung wide before he had even touched it. He blinked. _Well, that's weird._

Naruto breathed, deep and slow, as his eyes adjusted to the lower levels of light. To his relief, while it was dark, he could make out vague shadows with the thin glow that seemed to come from nowhere. He gulped before taking a step inside.

At once, a wave of malice and killing intent washed over him. Naruto shuddered, his knees feeling like they had turned into liquid. He bit his tongue to push himself to take one more step. The hatred only intensified, and he had to force himself to keep walking. As he crept closer, the sense of evil only grew, and each step became more and more difficult. Still, it did not take long to reach the end.

He stared up at a prison wall, each bar almost as thick as Han. He gulped. _What kind of monster is the Kyuubi?_

"H-hello?" he managed to stutter, feeling smaller than he ever had before in his life.

"**What are you doing here?"**

Despite preparing himself, Naruto jumped, falling down onto the wet ground out of shock. He began trying to scramble away before he remembered why he had come. He forced himself to stop with a gulp. _I can't chicken out now!_

"H-hi," he said again, keeping his eyes focused on the water and away from the monster. "M-my name is Naruto. Are you... Kurama-san?"

"**I know your name boy,"** the same malevolent voice answered, sounding annoyed.** "And don't you dare say my magnificent name with your filthy mouth! Now, for the final time, what are you doing here?"**

Naruto swallowed to keep himself from screaming. He tried to look up at the bijuu that was talking, but he could not tear his eyes away from the ground. He gulped and exhaled slowly, balling his hands into fists. _I have to do this._

"What did you do to my chakra?" Naruto asked, managing not to stutter. "I can't use it, ya know!" Despite his strong words, he still could not manage to look up at the bijuu in front of him.

At that, the Kyuubi burst into laughter, cruel and wicked. Naruto shuddered. _What's so funny?_

"**You really think I can affect you chakra how I want from here, brat?" **the Kyuubi asked. **"I guess you're even stupider than you look."**

"I'm not stupid," Naruto mumbled.

"**What was that, brat? Speak up!"**

"I'm not stupid!" Naruto managed to sit up, anger helping push away some of the fear coursing throughout his body. Despite it, he could not force himself to look up at the bijuu behind bars.

The Kyuubi growled. **"You must be if you're speaking with me,"** he said.

Naruto shook his head and bit his lip, unsure how to respond. He wanted to defend himself, but his tongue refused to move and he could only focus on the wet ground around him.

The Kyuubi chuckled, sounding almost amused. **"You have a lot of nerve even trying to talk to me. But since you're here... look up at me, brat."**

Naruto felt his body freeze at the order. Numbly, he shook his head. He didn't know why, but he knew nothing good would come out of looking up.

"**Look up!"** the Kyuubi ordered again, angrier and more insistent than the last time.

Naruto flinched. He gulped and clenched his hands into fists, trying to stop his body from shaking, but he could not. Slowly, his eyes drifted away from the ground toward the bars keeping the bijuu separated. He gasped when he saw a vague silhouette sitting behind the prison. Nevertheless, he forced his eyes to continue trailing up toward what he assumed was the bijuu's face.

Naruto felt his insides turn to water. In front of him, red eyes full of hate and malice glared down at him, mocking him and his entire existence. The Kyuubi was taller than he had thought possible, bigger than a lot of the buildings in Konoha. He wanted to cry and scream at the sight, but his body was frozen in fear.

"**Do you see it?"** the Kyuubi asked, showing off its long fangs as it leaned forward, one pupil taller than Naruto.

Naruto heard its words, but he couldn't understand anything. Panicked, he began crawling away.

"**Do you see it!?"** the Kyuubi repeated his question, angrier than before.

Naruto stopped, the bijuu's words managing to get through his head. _See what?_

Naruto forced himself to look back at the bars that separated him from the Kyuubi. He gulped before turning his face to look up at the bijuu once more. "W-what is it?" he managed to stutter out. "I don't see nothing!"

Behind the bars, the Kyuubi rolled his eyes. Annoyed, he pointed to a small piece of paper that Naruto realized kept the cage closed. **"What do you see, brat?"** the fox asked.

"I... I don't..." Naruto squinted, trying to see what the Kyuubi was pointing to, but he couldn't make it out from a distance.

The Kyuubi rolled his eyes again. **"It's the seal, you stupid brat,"** he growled. **"As long as that seal is intact, it's not possible for my consciousness and will to leave this space, let alone affect your chakra. Yet, anyway."**

Naruto froze as he thought through the implications. "W-wait, if you're not affecting my chakra, then how come I can't do the Leaf Concentration Exercise!?"

The beast scoffed. **"How am I supposed to know? Now leave. My prison is contaminated enough without you in it."**

Before Naruto had a chance to respond, he felt a strong gust of wind pushing him back. Powerless, it carried him away out of the Kyuubi's room.

Naruto didn't have time to protest before he woke up in his own room.

He shouted, sitting up in bed, panting. He shuddered and tried to suppress the tears that were threatening to come out. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to get his frantic breath to return to normal. _I should've listened to Mama and Papa. That was pointless. I didn't even learn anything._

Despite his earlier vow, his breath cracked and a sob escaped his lips. Naruto wiped away the tears, feeling his heart beating so fast it felt like it could burst out of his chest. He swallowed one last time as he forced himself to stop crying, wiping his forearm across his face.

Slightly calmer, he looked around his bedroom, reassured by the familiarity. The same posters and decorations were still hanging on the walls. The streetlights outside illuminated his room in a soft glow. Near the window, his houseplant stood silent, a protector and friend. Naruto sighed in relief. _It's all normal._

He lay down in bed again, feeling his heart beginning to slow down and his breathing going back to normal. As he did, however, he noticed a new problem. He blushed, embarrassed with himself.

Annoyed, he stood up and began to strip the bed of the wet sheets. _I'm just happy I didn't stay with Sasuke tonight. I would've never heard the end of it._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu was starting to get worried about Naruto.

For the past week or so, Naruto had been out of sorts, only nodding along to everything she said. While unusual, he had only seemed distracted and pensive, not wanting to talk much. She had assumed he was struggling with something in school and left it at that.

_But he wasn't this upset yesterday._ She peered at Naruto over her sketchbook, biting her lip. He looked on the edge of tears, lying with his stomach on the floor. Earlier, she had asked if anything was wrong but he had only shaken his head, insisting he was fine.

His silence was starting to worry her and there were no other people she could ask for help. Fuu had hoped for someone to arrive, but every other jinchuuriki was too busy to join them.

"So, Naruto-kun, is anything wrong?" she asked for what felt like the millionth time, pasting a grin on her face.

Naruto shook his head. He refused to look up as he doodled something in his sketchbook. It looked like a misshapen blob. Fuu bit her lip again, increasingly worried. _Naruto is never upset for this long!_

"You know, I'm getting tired of drawing," she lied. "Why don't we do something else?"

"Okay," Naruto mumbled, placing his art supplies down. A second later, his sketchbook and pencil disappeared. Fuu's concern deepened as she stared at him being so uncharacteristic. She allowed her supplies to disappear as well.

"Hey, come closer," she ordered. "Let me do your hair!"

"My hair?" To her relief, Naruto reacted to that, frowning in confusion.

She nodded, her grin widening. "Yeah! Mariko-sensei is having me practice with doing hair," she explained. "I want to see what I can do, especially with short hair."

Naruto frowned at her before shrugging, sitting up cross-legged on the floor. Glad, Fuu moved to sit behind him with a mischievous grin on her face. She forced the Room to summon a collection of hair styling supplies.

"I think it's a little easier to practice on another person," she said as she began to comb through Naruto's hair. "Takumi-sensei let me practice on him, but he looked like he wanted to cry when I finished! I think it's because I kept pulling at his hair. Tell me if I start pulling, too, okay?"

"Okay." Naruto didn't react. Fuu frowned to herself. _What's gotten into him?_

"Anyway, do you want to hear about some of the training I've been doing?" she continued. She grabbed a small lock of Naruto's hair and began to braid it, sticking her tongue out in concentration.

"Sure."

Fuu grimaced at his uncharacteristic apathy before tying the end of the braid. "So I've been practicing the Four-Tailed jinchuuriki transformation, right? I was finally able to get the clone jutsu done correctly while still in the form! It's pretty hard to do and I still have to keep practicing! But I think if I keep going, I'll master it soon enough. Chomei thinks-"

At those words, she heard a sob emanating from Naruto. Fuu froze, her comb in the middle of the air. She put it on the floor before pulling Naruto into a hug. Naruto tensed for a second before returning the gesture. She tightened her hug, feeling his tears drip down his face and onto her shoulders.

Fuu bit her lip again. She couldn't remember the last time Naruto had cried in front of her. _I think he was five the last time I saw him like this._

She held onto him, saying nothing as he allowed Naruto, her little brother, to get the tears out of his system.

After a while, Naruto's sobbing ended, but he kept his arms wrapped loosely around Fuu. She planted a kiss on his forehead. At that, Naruto shifted, sitting cross-legged at her side and placing his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around him, pulling him close.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, looking down at him.

She saw Naruto biting his lip before answering. "I'm stupid," he whispered. His eyes began to water again but he wiped his face with his forearm before the tears could fall.

"Huh? Stupid? What do you mean? Did someone say anything to you!?" Fuu asked, indignant for Naruto's sake. "Was it... Sasuke?" She felt a sudden desire to hunt down the other boy. _I thought he was Naruto-kun's friend!_

Naruto shook his head. "I can't figure out the Leaf Concentration Exercise," he explained, refusing to meet her eyes. "Everyone else in my class already knows how to do it, ya know."

"Leaf Concentration... You mean that thing where you use your chakra to stick a leaf to your face? Are you still having trouble with it?"

Naruto snorted. "I'm not having trouble. I just can't do it! I talked to the Kyuubi, but-"

"You talked to the Kyuubi!?" Fuu's jaw dropped. "But Chomei says the Kyuubi is the most annoying of all their siblings! Except for _maybe _Shukaku! Why did you talk to him!?"

Naruto shook his head and shrugged. "I thought he was doing something to my chakra. Like what the Ichibi does with Gaara, ya know. But it turns out my seal stops him. Also, he... um..." At that, his face reddened and he looked down at his knees.

"So what happened when you talked to the Kyuubi?" she asked. "Did he say anything important?"

"He just said he didn't wanna see me. And then he told me the seal stopped him from getting out and... uh... something about how he couldn't affect my chakra and his will. Then he kicked me out and I woke up."

Upon finishing the explanation, he burrowed closer to Fuu's side. She tightened her hold on him. "So the Kyuubi isn't messing with your chakra, then?"

Naruto shook his head.

Fuu hummed to herself in deep thought before asking the next question. "So how do you try doing the Leaf Concentration Exercise? Maybe I can help?" Fuu bit her lip. She was only a genin and a rookie one at that. She wasn't sure what insight she could give Naruto. _But I can at least try!_

Naruto hesitated, presumably wondering how Fuu could help when the older jinchuuriki could not. Shrugging, he seemed to decide there was no harm in talking.

"So, like, I feel my chakra and concentrate it in my stomach," he began. Fuu nodded. "Then I move it all to my forehead and place the leaf on it. I can feel the chakra, ya know, but I don't know why it doesn't get the leaf to stick to my face! I mean, I have chakra, so what's the deal?"

"Wait, _all_?" Fuu's heart began beating harder inside her chest. She wondered if Naruto's problem was the same as what hers had been trying to use the Initial Jinchuuriki form.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, all."

"Why are you trying to use up _all _your chakra to stick a leaf to your head?"

"What do you mean why?" Naruto stared up at her in confusion. "Isn't that how you're supposed to do it?"

Fuu shook her head "No, I think I know what your problem is, Naruto-kun."

"What!?" Naruto looked up incredulously at her, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You're using all your chakra for a simple task!" Fuu explained. "What you have to do is take only a tiny portion for the exercise. That's the only way to do it without overcharging and forcing the chakra to disperse in order not to overload your body."

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head, confused with her explanation.

Fuu sighed. "Think of it like this. How much does a leaf weigh?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a few grams?"

"And how much do you think Papa weighs?"

"Maybe one thousand kilos?" Naruto stared at her, trying to see what she was getting at.

Fuu shrugged. She didn't know how much Han weighed and she had no idea what to guess. "Yeah! Now, let's say you wanted to lift him up. How much energy and effort do you think you would need to do that?"

"I don't know, a lot?"

"And how much effort would it take to pick up a leaf?"

"Almost nothing?" Naruto looked quizzically at her. She could tell he was wondering where she was going with the metaphor.

Fuu nodded and grinned. "If that's the case, why would you use the same amount of effort to pick up a leaf as you would use to pick up Papa?"

At that, Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He screamed, finally understanding the problem. "Wait... have I just been using too much chakra this entire time!?"

Fuu smiled. "I'm not certain, but I think so. That was the problem I had when I first began learning how to do the jinchuuriki transformations. I was using _way _more chakra than I needed for small things!"

"So I just need to use less chakra?"

Fuu nodded. "It's sort of hard to do though," she admitted. "It feels kinda like trying to fit an ocean into a kitchen sink. But that's the only way to do it without overcharging your body and making the technique fail."

"Oh! I see!" Naruto grinned up at her, his earlier mood disappearing in an instant. "You mean I need to watch how much chakra I use for each technique?"

"Yeah! I think so!"

They traded grins. With the gloom from earlier gone, Naruto laughed and talked as normal, allowing Fuu to style his hair. She let out a sigh of relief as she practiced her braiding._ Good, Naruto is back to normal._

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Hey, jerk!"

Sasuke turned around, seeing Naruto running toward him with a grin. The day before, the other boy had looked on the edge of tears the entire day. It had been disconcerting and Sasuke had been unable to concentrate on training. Seeing him smiling and grinning as usual sent a wave of relief coursing through him. He wasn't going to say anything about it, though.

"What is it, loser?" he asked, smirking at him. "No longer moping around?"

Naruto giggled, ignoring Sasuke's words effortlessly.

"I finally learned how to do the Leaf Concentration Exercise!" he announced, raising a fist up in the air. His eyes seemed to shine in happiness as he joined Sasuke's side at the edge of the dock.

"Oh, uh... finally," Sasuke muttered. _Congratulations._

Naruto rolled his eyes at that but his mood did not waver. "Yeah! I finally figured out what the problem was, ya know!"

"What was it?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Naruto giggled again, fidgeting in excitement. "I was just using too much chakra!" he explained, still grinning. "I thought this entire time you needed to use _all _your chakra for the technique, but it turns out you only need a little!"

"A little?" Sasuke titled his head to the side. "Do you have that much chakra already?"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess? Anyway, watch this!" With that, he took a leaf out of his pocket and placed it on his forehead. For the first time ever, it remained on his face, refusing to fall down. Naruto's grin widened and he began to bounce in excitement.

"Not bad," Sasuke conceded, crossing his arms and nodding his head.

"Thanks!" Naruto scratched the back of his neck bashfully.

"You didn't put glue on it, loser?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

Naruto huffed. "Shut up, jerk! It's my chakra! Gimme your own leaf if you wanna be sure!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I believe you." He turned back to look out at the water with a sigh. He was getting close to figuring out how to do the Great Fireball Jutsu, but it was still not enough. _Not good enough to show Father at least._

"Anyway, so how's your training going?" Naruto asked. To Sasuke's surprise, the leaf had stayed on his forehead, held up by chakra.

"Fine," he muttered. "It's almost finished."

"Makes sense, I guess. Are you sure you're using the correct amount of chakra, though?" Naruto asked.

"What do you mean?"

Naruto shrugged. "I mean, it turns out I couldn't do the Leaf Concentration Exercise cause I was using too much chakra. Maybe you're using too much or not enough?"

Sasuke paused to consider. He hadn't really thought much about the quantity he was using to do the jutsu. _Maybe the idiot is actually onto something..._

Sasuke hummed to himself. Seeing his determination, Naruto stepped back, going back to stand on dry land. Sasuke took that as his cue to try again. He moved through the hand signs, focused his chakra in his throat, and blew out.

It worked. The ball of fire was larger than anything he had created before. It was the same size as his father's from when he had tried teaching him the technique a week earlier.

The fire dissipated and Sasuke took a step back, amazed by his own progress. His eyes widened and he cheered, almost forgetting Naruto was there to see.

"Yes! I did it!" he shouted, running toward Naruto. He almost made to hug him before pausing a few feet away. _Wait! I can't make him think I actually like him!_

Naruto didn't have the same worry because he leaped toward Sasuke in a congratulatory hug. "Yeah, Sasuke! Congrats!"

"Thanks, loser," Sasuke replied without venom. "Now let me go," he ordered, pushing him away. "I have to get Father and show him I figured it out."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto rolled his eyes as he let Sasuke go. "Go get Uchiha-san."

Sasuke stuck his tongue out before running back toward his house. Naruto replied by crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out as well. Sasuke turned his head away, not wanting Naruto to see his smile. He would never admit it out loud, but he enjoyed Naruto's company more than anyone else's.

"Mom, where's Father?" Sasuke asked, running into the kitchen first.

His mother was at the low table, calculating the clan finances in her spreadsheets. She peered at him kindly before answering. "I saw him a while ago," she said. "He was skulking around the garden. Oh, and please tell Naruto-kun about dinner tonight! I'm making katsudon."

"Sure! Thanks, Mom!" Sasuke thanked her before running out in search of his father. He found him a few seconds later, sitting on the deck and sharpening kunai.

"Father!" he shouted, panting with excitement and effort.

"Sasuke, what is it?" His father did not pause in his work, sharpening his weapons while looking in Sasuke's direction.

"I know the Great Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke announced, barely restraining himself from bouncing on the tips of his toes. "Watch me do it one more time, Father."

His father sighed and shook his head. "Sasuke, it's too soon for you to-"

"I can!" Sasuke interrupted, scowling at his father. "I think I've gotten the hang of it. I want you to see it, Father."

The man paused to consider his words, studying his face for some reason. With a sigh, he placed the kunai on the deck and stood up, brushing non-existent dirt from his clothes. "Fine. If you say."

With a smile, Sasuke and his father walked in silence back to the dock where he had been practicing for the past week. Unsurprisingly, Naruto was still there, looking out at the water with a leaf glued on his face. He waved when he saw Sasuke and his father walking closer. Sasuke ignored him as he ran to the edge of the dock.

He exhaled slowly to calm himself before trying the jutsu. He did the hand signs, gathered chakra in his throat, and expelled it. To his relief, the jutsu was still perfect, the same size as his father's.

When he finished, he panted in a combination of relief and exhaustion before turning to look at his father. The man stared at him, eyes wide. Sasuke bit his tongue to suppress the grin that was threatening to come out.

However, instead of praising him, his father turned around and began walking away, abandoning Sasuke on the dock. In an instant, Sasuke felt tears beginning to build behind his eyes. He bit the inside of his cheek and looked down at the wooden planks.

Before he left, however, the man stopped, his back still turned to Sasuke.

"That's my boy," he said.

Sasuke looked up at his father, his eyes widening in amazement. _Did he say..._

"Good job," he continued, his back still turned to him. "From now on, keep striving to improve yourself. Remember the proud symbol on your back."

Sasuke smiled to himself, visualizing the Uchiha clan symbol embroidered on his shirt. "Yes, Father," he answered cheerfully, his smile widening. _He finally recognizes me..._

"And one more thing..." Sasuke titled his head to the side as his father turned to meet his eyes. "Don't try to be your brother anymore."

With that said, his father walked away, leaving Sasuke standing alone on the dock, frowning. He bit his lip as he tried to think of a reason for his father's words. _ Don't try to be like my brother anymore? Why? Is that why Father and Itachi don't talk to each other anymore?_

He didn't have much time to ponder his father's words before Naruto joined his side. He looked just as confused as Sasuke. "Why doesn't he want you to be like your brother?" he asked. "I thought Itachi was, like, the strongest one in your clan?"

Sasuke bit his lip and looked away. "I'm not sure. I think..." he swallowed, the confession at the tip of his tongue. "I think Dad and Itachi don't like each other anymore."

Naruto gasped. "What!? That's weird. Aren't parents, like, _forced _to like their kids?"

Sasuke shrugged, looking back at Naruto. "I don't know," he confessed. "I just know they don't get along anymore. Itachi's been acting kind of weird, too." _And with what happened to Shisui... Everyone's saying Itachi did it..._

Naruto shuffled his feet, hesitating before placing a comforting hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke startled at the sudden touch but did not push Naruto away. He stared at him, a frown on his face.

"I'm sure it's gonna be okay, Sasuke," Naruto said, grinning brightly. "Families fight and get upset all the time, right? It's all gonna be fine!"

Sasuke nodded, slightly reassured. He smiled at Naruto before collapsing, lying down on the dock and looking up at the sky. He let out a sigh. "I'm exhausted," he admitted. "I don't think I can move anymore."

Naruto stared down at him, resting on the wooden dock. He giggled before lying down nearby, looking up at the sky with him in silence. Sasuke sighed, wishing he had enough energy left to push Naruto into the water.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Naruto also considered pushing Sasuke into the water, just so everyone knows.**

**Also, what's this? Chapter out a day early? I just don't have much to do right now, okay? If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: unexpected meetups.**


	29. Tomorrow Never Knows

**In which Yugito meets an unexpected group and Naruto skips school.**

**Warning for depictions of death in this chapter.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Upon arrival, the village leader gave Yugito and her team a rundown of the situation. In the end, he added nothing new to build on from A's original explanation. With no leads, Yugito had her team do periodic patrols of the area, using C's sensor abilities to track the people of Shiokaze.

Since then, no one else had disappeared. Once, C had sensed a stranger's chakra signature nearing the village, but when they gave chase, it vanished. The mysterious signature never resurfaced again, no matter the place or time of day.

Safe for the first time in months, the villagers thanked them, providing them with food and shelter. While Yugito was glad to see the people happy, she knew their mission was not yet finished.

It wasn't until a month later that C sensed anything out of the norm. They were jumping through the trees on their normal night patrol route when C froze. He stopped, standing upon a branch.

"What is it? Do you sense something?" Yugito asked, standing next to him. Darui joined them on C's other side.

C nodded. "I sense three strangers," he explained, a frown on his face. "They have huge chakra reserves. One feels vaguely familiar but I'm not sure why. I don't think they are from Kumogakure though. I remember the chakra signature of all our jounin and a lot of our chuunin."

"Vaguely familiar?" Darui asked. "What does that mean?"

C's frown deepened. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "It would be from a few years ago if I can't remember it anymore."

Yugito closed her eyes as she made a plan. C and Darui waited patiently for her orders.

"Let's prepare for an ambush," she decided. "Don't attack yet, though. It's possible they're not enemies. I'll go in first and scout the situation before we can make a plan. Now, can you tell me exactly where they are, C?"

"One second, Captain." With that, C closed his eyes as he focused on his targets. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and pointed somewhere to the West. "I felt three signatures close together," he said. "Approximately 1,375 meters straight ahead. They aren't moving. I assume they've set up camp."

"Thank you, C," Yugito said. "Now, you two stay here. I'll come back as soon as I can survey the situation and plan an ambush. If they see me and a fight begins, rush in to help."

"How will we know if you need our help, Captain?" C asked.

"You'll hear screaming," she said.

C nodded while Darui hummed at her response. She smiled. _I like these guys. They take everything at face value._

With that, she leaped through the canopy in the direction C had pointed to. Once closer, she landed on the ground. She proceeded by foot, using chakra to muffle her footsteps, until she saw a light from a campfire a short distance away. _I guess there's a clearing nearby if they've set up camp._

She crouched down and hid her chakra signature, peeking through the foliage to try and catch a glimpse of her targets.

'_**Yugito-chan,' **_Matatabi interrupted as Yugito began crawling forward.

'_Matatabi?'_ Yugito stopped to talk. It was rare for the bijuu to interrupt, especially in the middle of a mission. '_What is it?'_

'_**Isobu-kun is nearby.' **_Her voice was full of fondness and exasperation at the same time. It reminded Yugito of how she referred to Killer B when talking to other people.

'_Isobu?'_ Yugito paused to remind herself where she had heard the name before. _'Isn't that the Sanbi? Is Yagura nearby?'_

Matatabi grunted her assent. _**'He is. I sense Son Goku and Kokuo are nearby as well, but I can't seem to talk to them. I'm not sure if they're ignoring me or just aren't able to sense me.'**_ The bijuu sounded annoyed more than anything.

'_Wait... Son Goku and Kokuo? The Four-Tails and the Five-Tails? Han and Roshi are here, too!?' _Yugito asked with a frown._ 'Why are they with Yagura? Aren't they supposed to be in Iwagakure?'_

She had no idea what Han, Roshi, and Yagura could be doing together. They were friends in the Room, but that didn't explain why they had set up camp in the Land of Lightning. _Maybe they have a mission from Iwagakure and they bumped into each other?_

Matatabi purred, deep in thought, before answering. _**'I don't know, Yugito-chan,'**_ she admitted._** 'Do you want me to connect you to Isobu-kun?'**_

'_You can do that!?' _Yugito asked incredulously. After so many years, she couldn't believe she was learning new things about her bijuu.

'_**Sure. One second.'**_ Matatabi quieted as she searched for a connection.

Yugito frowned as she waited for Matatabi to finish the link. _I'm learning so many new things today._

'_**Hello?' **_an unfamiliar voice greeted shyly. Yugito jumped in surprise.

'_Hello?'_ she answered reluctantly. _'Who are you?'_

'_**My name is Isobu,'**_ the mysterious voice said. _**'You must be Yugito-chan.'**_

'_Oh, uh, yes, that's me.'_ Yugito's day was feeling stranger by the second. _'Are you the Sanbi?'_

'_**I am,'**_ Isobu confirmed, sounding pleased._** 'You want to speak with Yagura-kun, right? Let me connect you with him.'**_

'_Wait... uh... Yagura?' _Before she had a chance to react, she heard the voice of someone familiar.

'_Huh, so Isobu wasn't playing a weird prank on me,' _Yagura's familiar voice commented._ 'How are you doing, Yugito-san?'_

'_Yagura!? What are you doing here?'_

'_What does it look like I'm doing? I'm camping! I should be asking you the same thing!'_

Yugito snorted. _'For your information, I'm on a mission from the Raikage. Why are Han and Roshi with you?'_

'_They're on a mission with me.'_

'_Since when?'_

'_Since around a year ago.'_

'_That long!? Why didn't you three tell the rest of us anything!?'_

'_It was Han's idea to keep it a secret,'_ Yagura explained, sounding exasperated._ 'He didn't want the others to worry and Roshi agreed. I thought it was a bad idea but decided to keep their secret, anyway.'_

'_Bastards.' _Yugito clenched her jaw, annoyed at the lack of information. She couldn't believe they would withhold such critical intel from the rest of them. She vowed to force a confession out of them in the Room later.

_**'So what brings you here, Matatabi-chan, Yugito-chan?'**_ Isobu asked, returning to the original conversation.

Yugito was snapped out of her annoyance. _'People have been disappearing in a nearby village,'_ she explained. _'But we haven't been able to find any leads.'_

'_Disappearing?' _Yagura sounded unnerved at that explanation for some reason. _'Have people nearby been disappearing?'_

Yugito grunted her assent. _'Yes. A lot of children, too, many of them with kekkei genkai.'_

Yagura and Isobu considered her words. Yugito waited impatiently for their reply, grimacing in annoyance.

'_I think our mission might be the same,' _Yagura finally said._ 'We're chasing after someone that might be the culprit for your case.'_

Yugito's heart began beating faster in her chest. _'Do you want to work together, then?'_

Yagura paused to consider her offer. After a few seconds, he grunted in assent. _'Han and Roshi are sleeping. What do you think about waking them up?'_ Yugito could effortlessly imagine the mischievous grin on his face.

Yugito smirked. _'Sure. What do you have in mind?'_

**O-O-O-O-O**

Han woke up with a startle, his instincts screaming at him that he was about to die. In a fighting pose, he bolted awake and spun around to see where the attack was coming from. At his side, Roshi did the same, staring off into the thick forest.

A flash of black lightning flashed through the air. Han and Roshi managed to dodge, avoiding dying by mere inches.

"What's going on? Are we under attack?" Roshi asked. "Do you think it's-"

Before he could complete his thought, another flash of lightning appeared. It hit their campfire, causing the flames to rise, blinding Han before he had the chance to avert his gaze. He winced and jumped away, hoping Roshi and Yagura were safe.

It only took a second to regain his sight. When he did, he locked eyes with Roshi, who stood on the other side of the clearing, rubbing at his eyes and wincing. He glanced desperately around the area, blinking rapidly. _Wait, where's Yagura?_

Panicked, Han looked around the clearing, searching for his friend. He was dismayed to find Yagura facedown on the ground, the tip of a kunai held up to his throat. Han blinked when he saw the person threatening him. _Yugito-san!?_

"Stand down or the old man dies!" Yugito shouted in a threatening voice, tightening her grip on the kunai.

"Old man?" Yagura looked more offended at the insult than at having his life at risk.

Han gaped at her, eyes wide as he assessed the situation. He wasn't sure if Yugito knew the person underneath was a disguised Yagura but he didn't want to take any chances. He stared at Yugito, looking for a hint on how to respond.

Yugito smirked in satisfaction, sending him a covert wink. Han felt a weight lift from his shoulders. _So Yugito doesn't plan to hurt us. That's a relief._

Yugito glared at them one last time before turning her attention to the forest. "C! Darui! Come out!" she shouted.

At her words, two young men exited the forest. One held a sword in front of himself while the other was frowning, his body ready for a fight. They nodded at Yugito before joining her side.

"Really Ya-Kaito, couldn't even keep watch?" Roshi huffed, arms held up in surrender.

With the kunai held up to his throat, Yagura smirked. "What can I say? She's talented."

"We just want to talk," Yugito ordered. "Now stand down. I'll let the old man go if you cooperate."

Han sighed, but did as told, kneeling on the ground with his hands up. Roshi copied his lead a small distance away. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Why are there three Iwa-nin in the Land of Lightning? Are you responsible for the disappearances in Shiokaze Village?" the blonde man asked. Han frowned. _Disappearances?_

"I'm actually from Kirigakure," Yagura interjected. "And we got lost on our way to the hot springs."

Yugito pushed the edge of her kunai up to the skin, close enough to shave. "Stop trying to be funny," she ordered.

Han wondered again if Yugito knew it was Yagura in disguise. _I think her actions would be the same in either case._

"We're hunting for someone," Roshi admitted, almost reluctantly. "A missing-nin from Konoha."

"And it might be at least part of the reason why people are disappearing," Han added.

The dark-skinned man spoke up for the first time. "Who?" he asked, taking a step closer to Han, sword held in front for self-defense.

Han shared brief conspiratorial glances with Roshi and Yagura before answering. While Roshi seemed reluctant to reveal their plans, Yagura's eyes narrowed, urging him to reveal the truth. Han sighed to himself. _I guess we can't keep it a secret anymore. I know I can trust Yugito._

"We're searching for the legendary sannin, Orochimaru," Han confessed.

"Orochimaru?" the dark-skinned man repeated, sounding skeptical. "What do you mean you're searching for Orochimaru?"

Yagura rolled his eyes. "What's hard to understand? We're looking for Orochimaru! We suspect he has something to do with the disappearances you're investigating."

Yugito pushed the edge of the kunai to Yagura's neck until a bead of blood dripped down. "How do we know you're not the ones responsible for it?" she asked. "Is there anything to prove you're not guilty?"

"Do you know who Orochimaru is?" Roshi asked, speaking to all three of the Kumo shinobi, face calm and collected.

"Of course," the blond man answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "He's a missing-nin from Konoha and a hero of the Second Shinobi War." At his side, the other man nodded, seemingly also familiar with Orochimaru.

Han grunted his assent. "Do you know why he became a missing-nin?" he asked.

The men shook their heads while Yugito's frown deepened.

"He was doing experiments on human subjects," Han explained, feeling bile building in his throat. "Especially children with bloodline techniques. He was caught red-handed but managed to flee the village."

From across the clearing, Han saw the dark-skinned man bite his lip while the blond clenched his jaw. In front of him, Yugito tightened the grip on her kunai. More blood dripped down Yagura's neck, but she ignored it. While Yagura seemed calm about the situation, Han gulped. _I hope she doesn't kill him by accident._

"So you think Orochimaru is nearby and you're trying to capture him?" Yugito asked, although she already seemed to believe them.

Han and Roshi nodded while Yagura tried to shrug from where he was held captive.

Yugito bit her lip. Looking satisfied, she nodded at her teammates and pulled her weapon away. She stood up, allowing Yagura to sit up and massage his neck with a wince.

"It seems like we have similar goals," she said. "In that case, we may as well work together, don't you think?"

Han and Roshi gave out huge sighs of relief while the two men frowned at her decision.

"Yugito-san, don't you think we're trusting them too much?" the blond man asked as he took out a kunai from his pouch. "How can we let them go?"

At his side, the other man seemed to agree with his assessment. He fell into a defensive stance, sword held in front of him.

Yugito rolled her eyes. "I don't trust them," she said. "But I doubt they'd be much of a threat to me. Just look at the old man! Besides, we have an alliance with Iwagakure. Allied villages team up every once in a while, too."

At that, Yagura grinned at everyone in the clearing, stretching his arms out in front of him almost lazily. "We don't want to fight," he said. "Maybe if we work together, we'll be able to solve the situation. Now, why don't we all settle around the fire and exchange intel? That's nicer than pointing weapons at each other at least."

With that, he moved closer to the fire, rubbing his hands in front. Han and Roshi hesitated for a second, glancing up at the two men, before crawling toward the fire as well. The two Kumogakure men glared at them on the ground before joining them warily a small distance away.

"Well, if we're going to work together, we may as well introduce ourselves," Yugito said. "My name is Yugito and these are my teammates, Darui and C." She pointed to the dark-skinned man before introducing the blond. "Now, who are you?"

"I'm Han," Han said. "And this is Roshi. He's my-"

Darui's eyes widened, interrupting Han before he could finish the introduction. "Wait! I remember where I saw you before! You were one of our proctors during the chuunin exams in Iwagakure!"

"You just realized it, Darui?" the blond, C, asked, an incredulous smirk on his face. "I noticed it the first time I saw him."

The other man, Darui, frowned in embarrassment. "Sorry, that was a while ago," he muttered to C before turning to Han and Roshi. "What are you doing here now, anyway? Shouldn't you be in Iwagakure?"

"We ran away from home," Roshi answered.

Yagura chuckled at that, entertained by Roshi's choice of words. "My name is Kaito," he said, blowing into his hands to warm them. "We're bounty hunters."

Yugito's eyes widened in surprise before shifting her face into a furious grimace. "You are?"

In an instant, the mood shifted. While it was rare for allied countries to team up, it was unheard of to see shinobi from hidden villages cooperating with bounty hunters. Han shuddered at the expression on Yugito's face._ She's going to make us confess later, isn't she?_

Roshi rolled his eyes and sighed. "In that case, we're the worst bounty hunters in the world, Kaito. We haven't collected a single target."

"If you guys are so inexperienced, then why are you searching for someone so legendary?" C asked, a judgemental frown on his face.

"We need the money," Han answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "We wanted to collect a target with a big reward and thought Orochimaru would be a good option. Konoha is well-known for paying out bounties in full."

"Plus, being known as the guys who captured Orochimaru would be great publicity," Yagura added. He glanced up at C and Darui, looking almost bored. "If you lot are searching for someone kidnapping people, chances are that we're hunting for the same guy. Last we heard, Orochimaru was _slithering _around this area."

C and Darui frowned at Yagura's words before turning their attention back to Yugito, waiting for her orders. Yugito closed her eyes, mulling over the situation.

"Yugito-san!" C shouted when he saw Yugito was still considering a team-up. "This is a terrible idea! They could be lying! How do we know they're not the ones responsible for what's happening in Shiokaze?"

Roshi shrugged before speaking up. "Why would we lie? We heard rumors that a scary guy with long hair and an affinity for snakes was prowling the area. We have conflicting reports about him having a base in the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Hot Water. We set up camp here based on its proximity to both countries."

"If you don't want us nearby, we can go our separate ways," Han suggested, trying to keep the peace. "We don't want to fight. We'll set up camp in the Land of Hot Water instead if you prefer."

"_Or_ we could get rid of you now and save us all the trouble," C said with a grimace, pointing his kunai threateningly. "You're just a _bounty hunter._" He laced the last two words with disgust and disdain, sneering down at the three men on the ground.

Han resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _Whatever you say, boy._

"_Or_ we could team up and make Orochimaru regret ever taking anyone from this village you're guarding," Yagura retorted with a scoff. "He's a legendary sannin, but we're not half bad if I do say so myself." He lounged back on the ground, leaning on his unscarred arm.

"I guess that's an option, too," Roshi said.

Darui and C glared at the three jinchuuriki before turning to Yugito, awaiting further instructions.

She rubbed at her chin and closed her eyes, deep in thought, before opening them and nodding. "I know you three are just bounty hunters, but I think you can still be useful. If we work together, we might be able to figure something out," she decided. "Why don't we team up?"

"But, Yugito-san!" C interjected. "You can't truly believe everything they're saying, can you?"

"I'm sorry, Yugito-san but they are _just _bounty hunters!" Darui added.

Yugito shook her head. "No, I don't trust them," she said in a tone of voice Han might have actually believed. "But if even part of what they're saying is true, we have an obligation and a responsibility to the people of Shiokaze. Don't we have a duty to chase any lead for the safety of our citizens?"

At that, C and Darui quieted, chastened. While they were still grimacing at Yugito's words, they didn't argue with her. She nodded at them with approval before turning to Yagura. Han and Roshi frowned at that. _When did Yagura become our leader? He's the youngest one of us three!_

"How exactly do you propose we work together, Short Stack?" Yugito asked, sneering down at him.

Yagura sulked at the nickname before his face transformed, and he pasted a smirk on his face. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked through gritted teeth.

**O-O-O-O-O**

_Sasuke's not here yet._

Naruto tapped his pencil on the desk, glaring at the door and waiting for Sasuke to walk in. At his side, Hinata pushed her fingertips together, absorbing his nervousness. Only a minute was left until the start of class and the other boy had yet to arrive. _What gives? He's usually here way earlier than me!_

Naruto was beginning to get worried. Sasuke always arrived at the classroom at exactly the same time every day to the point it was almost comical. On the rare days Naruto arrived earlier, Sasuke would glare back at him before sitting somewhere at the front. If Sasuke arrived first, then Naruto would stick his tongue out before sitting next to Hinata. It had become a daily tradition.

Naruto couldn't remember a single day Sasuke had ever missed class. He knew he would never skip class on an exam day either. Sasuke was too focused on impressing his father and brother to do so._ So why isn't he here?_

Under the table, he began tapping his leg, making the desk he shared with Hinata shake. It was a testament to their friendship that she said nothing in response. Naruto glared at the door once more. It slid open, but instead of Sasuke, Iruka stepped inside, holding a stack of books in his arms. Naruto's face fell. _Where is he?_

"All right everyone, please get settled down!" he ordered as he set the books down on his desk. "Class is starting any second now!"

Sure enough, with those words out of his mouth, the bell rang. The other students, most of whom had been spread throughout the room ran to their seats. Naruto watched them move, biting his lip and hoping Sasuke was just late.

"Let's get started," Iruka said, his clipboard ready to take attendance. "Stand up." The class stood up at once. "Bow." They greeted their teacher with a bow of their heads. "Sit down."

Naruto collapsed on his seat. He bit his lip and began to tap his fingers on the desk surface. He was unable to listen as Iruka began the lecture, reviewing key information for the exam later that day.

"Hey, Hinata," he whispered to his friend, trying to be discreet as Iruka talked.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" she asked in a soft voice. While she did not seem as anxious as him, she had not stopped pushing her fingertips together since they had noticed Sasuke's absence.

"Where do you think Sasuke is?"

She bit her lip before answering. "I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe he's just late?"

Naruto hummed to himself. "Maybe."

He tried to pay attention to Iruka's lecture, but he couldn't. He had a strange feeling that something was wrong and Sasuke's absence was only a part of it. _Auntie, Uchiha-san, and Itachi have been acting kinda weird lately, too._

Unable to focus, his eyes wandered throughout the classroom. He swallowed, focusing on his breathing before he had a panic attack._ I'm worried over nothing. Sasuke probably just broke his arm or fell down the stairs or something._

Despite reassurances to himself, the sense that something was wrong remained. He spent the entire morning class fretting, tapping his pencil on the desk, and grimacing. After what felt like years later, the bell rang, dismissing them for lunch.

"Our exam will start after the break!" Iruka called out as they left. "You can go home as soon as you finish, though."

In a daze, Naruto walked by Hinata's side, his bento box in his hands. They said nothing on their way outside, staying silent until they sat under the shade of their favorite tree.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, sitting closer than usual. "Are you all right?"

Naruto grimaced. "I guess. I'm just... worried," he confessed. "Cause Sasuke's not here. He was fine yesterday and he wouldn't skip class without reason, especially on a day we have a test, ya know?"

Hinata bit her lip, fidgeting with the lid of her bento box. "I know what you mean," she said. "I don't think Sasuke-kun has ever missed a day of school before."

Naruto sighed. "Hopefully, he just broke his arm or something. And he'll be here for just the test."

"Uh... yeah... hopefully," Hinata frowned, seemingly unsure if she should agree with Naruto or not.

Despondent, Naruto and Hinata ate their food, saying little. When they finished, they sat side by side in silence, unsure what to talk about.

She bit her lip again, seeming to consider something. "Naruto-kun," she began. Naruto turned to her. "I heard something happened in the Uchiha district," she said.

"What? Something?" Naruto's eyes widened and he leaned forward until his face was only a few inches away from Hinata's. "What do you mean something happened?"

Hinata swallowed, her face turning pink at the closeness. "I heard my father talking about something bad happening in the Uchiha district," she explained. "But when I asked what, he told me not to worry about it. I didn't really think it was important, but with Sasuke-kun not here, I'm starting to wonder..."

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest as he pondered the situation. _Something happened in the Uchiha district? Like a fire and that's why Sasuke's not here?_

Unable to get the worry out of his mind, he leaned against the trunk of the tree. He glared at nothing and chewed on his lip. Hinata had nothing to say, either, because she continued to push the tips of her index fingers together.

With no more words exchanged, they returned to the classroom. When they entered, only Shikamaru, Chouji, and a boy wearing sunglasses were there. Hinata and Naruto sat down near the front, ignoring the other three children in the classroom with them.

Seated, Naruto kept his gaze focused on the door while tapping his foot desperately under the desk. His pulse quickened every time the door opened, expecting Sasuke to walk in. When he didn't, he only grew more and more anxious. _Where the heck is he?_

Finally, their lunch break ended and Iruka walked in, sliding the door open and closing it behind him. "Well, is everyone here?" he asked. "It's time to start the exam, so please, students, sit down!"

Everyone followed his orders, heading toward their usual seats. Naruto clenched his hands again, feeling his pulse quickening.

Satisfied that everyone was ready, Iruka pulled out a folder from his desk. "Well, I think it's almost time to start. Does anyone have any last-minute questions before I hand these out?" He blinked before turning his attention to a student. "Yes, Ino?"

"Iruka-sensei, where is Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked.

Naruto's back straightened and he turned to look at the blond girl. Ino had stood up, staring at Iruka expectantly. Next to her, Sakura bit her lip, wringing her hands.

Iruka sighed before pasting a smile on his face. "I don't know, Ino," he admitted. "Worry less about Sasuke and worry more about your exam. Anyone else have any questions? _About_ the exam?"

He looked around the classroom but no one else raised their hands. Satisfied, Iruka walked down the aisles, handing out an exam booklet to every student. "You may start as soon as you get your papers," he said. "Make sure you write your name, _Kiba_." He glared at a brown-haired boy, who smirked.

Numb, Naruto took the exam paper in his hands and scribbled his name on the top corner. He read the first question, but the words washed over him and he understood nothing. He tried again, but it was impossible to decipher the meaning.

Worried, he bit his lip and looked up at Iruka, who was watching everyone from his desk, on the look-out for cheating. Tentatively, he raised his hand.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto swallowed before answering. "Can I go to the toilet? I'm not feeling well."

Iruka sighed but nodded his assent. "Sure, Naruto. Just leave the exam here with me before you leave. I'll give it back when you return."

"Thank you, sensei." Grateful, Naruto stood up, placing his test face down on Iruka's desk.

Without looking back, he ran to the toilets. To his relief, the restroom was empty. He headed to a stall and locked it behind him. _I'll just go and check everyone's okay and then come back and finish the test_, he vowed.

Inside the stall, Naruto stood on the seat and began to pull himself up to reach the window. He paused, one hand on the windowsill._ If I leave early, Yugito's gonna give me shamisen lessons 'til I die._

Naruto shook his head to get rid of the thought. Making sure Sasuke was okay was more important. With no more hesitation, he pulled himself up the window and crawled outside, landing on the grass with barely a sound.

Wasting no time, he left, walking through the foliage to avoid detection. Thankfully, all the instructors were inside and he met no one on the way. Once outside the school zone, he began running, not sparing the Academy a glance back.

As fast as he could, he ran the long distance to the Uchiha Quarters, avoiding anyone on the way. To his relief, he saw few people and those he saw parted when they saw him approaching. He arrived at the Uchiha Quarters faster than he had ever done before.

He froze a long distance away from the entrance when he saw two men wearing full shinobi uniforms. Except for Hinata and himself, he had never seen a non-Uchiha anywhere nearby. To his relief, the two men didn't appear to see him. Biting his lip, he crawled closer, using the foliage for help.

When he was close enough to listen in, he stopped and looked through a gap in the leaves, straining his ears to listen.

"Is that everyone, sir?" the first man asked. He was wearing a white mask and his voice was deep and weary. _An ANBU?_

"Yes," the second man responded, sounding equally tired. From a distance, Naruto saw he was wearing a bandana over his head, deep scars adorning his face. "Most of the corpses have already been taken care of."

_Corpses?_ Naruto's heart began to beat faster inside his chest and his breath became more frantic in panic. To keep his location secret, he slapped a hand in front of his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to listen to the rest of their conversation.

"I heard rumors only one boy survived," the voice of the masked ANBU said. "Is it true?"

The other man grunted his assent. "It's true. Taken to the hospital first. The kid was unconscious and is resting now. Not sure how he's gonna react when he wakes up."

"What's the kid's name?"

"Sasuke."

Naruto froze and he heard nothing else. The world seemed to stop and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. _What do they mean Sasuke's the only one left? What about Auntie? And Uchiha-san? And Itachi?_

Tentatively, Naruto opened his eyes, feeling his body shaking in horror and shock. Through the foliage, he could see that the ANBU had vanished. Meanwhile, the scarred man was writing something on a clipboard, shaking his head.

"And then there was one," the man muttered to himself.

With that, he stepped underneath the yellow police tape to enter the Uchiha Quarters. From his position, Naruto saw other shinobi he had missed earlier, some wearing ANBU masks, moving around inside the compound. His stomach roiled when he saw white sheets covering what looked disturbingly like unmoving people. He bit his knuckles to stop himself from shouting.

Shaking, Naruto crawled back, making sure no one saw or heard him. Once he felt himself at a safe distance, he stood up and ran in the direction of the hospital. As he ran, his mind raced with the possibilities of what had happened. _Is Sasuke okay? And what happened to Auntie, Uchiha-san, and Itachi? That guy said corpses. Does that mean...?_

Increasingly panicked, he ran faster, heading to the Konoha Hospital as fast as he could. When he arrived, he slammed the door open, barging in and running to the receptionist's desk.

"Where's Sasuke!?" Naruto yelled at the confused woman at the reception. Panting, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and tried to force his heartbeat to slow down as much as possible.

"S-Sasuke?" the woman asked, glaring at him in a combination of disgust and bewilderment. "Why do _you _want to talk to him? He's resting!"

Naruto exhaled deeply to regulate his breath and bit his lip. He had never said the words out loud to anyone. _But if it'll convince her to let me see him..._

"Sasuke's my friend," he explained. He hoped she would assume his red face came from exertion instead of embarrassment.

The woman scoffed. "_You_? His friend?" Naruto looked up to see her shaking her head. "Even if I believed you, Sasuke Uchiha is not taking visitors right now. He's recovering. Come back later."

Naruto gritted his teeth and slammed a fist on her desk, making the woman flinch. "He's my friend!" he insisted. "I wanna know if he's okay, ya know!"

She sighed, sounding increasingly exasperated. "Kid, I can't let you in. If you don't back off, I'll have to call security on you. Now leave!"

Eyes wide, Naruto took a step back away from her desk. He forced his fists into his pockets to hide their shaking. He scowled at the woman, who had crossed her arms in front of her chest and was staring at him in disdain.

"Fine," he growled. "I'll leave."

With that, he stomped out, slamming the hospital door shut behind him.

_Fine. If they won't let me in, I'll let myself in. _He glanced around the streets, but no one seemed to be looking in his direction. Trying to look inconspicuous, he walked down the alleyway next to the hospital, hands in his pockets.

Keeping his eyes and ears on the lookout for anyone, he searched for a way inside. He found one quickly: a small window almost two meters off the ground. It was too small for most adults to fit through, but for Naruto, it was perfect.

He got a running start. With a grunt, he jumped up, grabbing the windowsill with his palms and pulling himself up. He looked inside. The lights were turned off but he could see shelves full of cleaning supplies._ A supply closet?_

Wasting no more time, he crawled through the window. He grabbed onto the ledge before landing on the floor with barely a sound. He paused, waiting to see if anyone had seen or heard him, but he sensed no one. Relieved, he walked to the door and opened it a crack.

For some reason, the hallway was completely empty. He gulped._ Where are all the doctors and nurses? Shouldn't there be more people walking around?_

Hesitantly, he stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He paused in case anyone had heard him before turning right. As he walked, he checked the names on all charts hanging from the doors, but he saw only blank pages or unfamiliar names. He climbed to the second floor, keeping his senses focused on avoiding anyone, but all the staff seemed to have vanished.

Naruto had almost reached the end of the hall on the second floor when he found the name he was looking for. _Sasuke..._

His heart began beating faster inside his chest. With trepidation, he stopped and pressed an ear to the door, but he heard only silence. _Is it empty?_

He slid the door open a crack and peered inside. There was no movement and he only saw hospital curtains surrounding a patient. He could make out a silhouette of someone sleeping on one of the beds.

"Sasuke?" Naruto whispered, but no one responded. He gulped and opened the door another crack, sticking his face inside, waiting for a reaction. When nothing happened, he entered fully, sliding the door closed behind him.

His heart pounding inside his chest, he took tentative steps toward the person lying on the bed.

"Sasuke?" Naruto repeated, voice louder than before. Still, no one answered.

Naruto reached the divider giving the sleeping person privacy. He hesitated, his hands squeezing the curtains for a second before moving them aside. His heart seemed to freeze when he saw Sasuke on the bed.

While at first glance the other boy seemed to only be sleeping, Naruto saw hints of more. His eyes were sunken, his skin paler and more ghostly than usual. A bandage was wrapped around his upper left arm.

Naruto gulped before walking to Sasuke's side. He thought about shaking Sasuke awake to force an explanation out of him but he stopped himself.

_What did that guy mean when he said there was only one boy left? Is Auntie..._

Naruto shook his head to stop himself from speculating further. _No! That guy must've been wrong!_ Forcing himself to breathe slowly, he pulled a chair to Sasuke's bedside and waited for him to wake up and explain everything.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke's eyes sprang open and he stared up at the ceiling. He gasped, snippets of the nightmare from the night before rushing into his consciousness. Trembling, he sat up. _A dream?_

He winced at a sharp pain in his left arm. He glanced at the injury as the memories began to rearrange themselves in his mind. _No... not a dream._

"Sasuke!"

Before he had any time to process, Sasuke glanced at the person calling his name. To his surprise, he was met with sky-blue eyes, full of both worry and relief.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke stuttered. _What is he doing here?_

"I'm so glad you're awake now, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. Despite the relief in his voice, the other boy sounded more worried than he ever had before. "I ran to the Uchiha Quarters to look for you but this guy said-"

Eyes widening, Sasuke pushed the blankets back and stood up. He made to run to the door, not bothering to look for his shoes. Before he had taken two steps, however, he was pulled back by an iron grip on his arm.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, grabbing onto him. "Where are you going?"

Sasuke growled, trying to pull himself away, but he was too weak to do more than struggle feebly. "Where does it look like I'm going?" he shouted. "I'm going home!"

"You can't!" Naruto tightened his grip, stronger than before.

Sasuke snarled, gritting his teeth in anger and frustration. "Why? Leave me alone! I'm going home!"

"I don't think you can go there now!" Naruto answered, eyes shiny.

Sasuke froze and he turned slowly to look at Naruto, eyes open wide. "W-what do you mean I can't go?"

Naruto looked down, biting his lip. "I went to the Uchiha Quarters before I came here, ya know," he explained. "And... these two guys... they were talking about _corpses_."

A shudder ran down Sasuke's back. "C-corpses?"

Naruto nodded. "I overheard them. They said... only one was left. And they said your name. That you were the last one. Is that true? Are you-" He gulped and looked away, afraid to complete the sentence.

Numb, Sasuke stared back at Naruto. _Only one? I'm the only one left? Am I... Mom... Father... _The last spark of hope that anyone had survived disappeared.

With that thought, everything that had happened the night before rushed into his memories at once. He felt tears building behind his eyes, overwhelmed. In the back of his mind, he knew he should be embarrassed about crying in front of Naruto, but he didn't care about that at all. He broke down, weeping as tears rolled down his face onto the floor.

Surprised, Naruto let go of his arm, making Sasuke feel strangely untethered. "S-Sasuke," he asked. "Wh-what happened?"

"He... he killed them," Sasuke whispered, looking down at the floor through eyes blurred by tears. "I'll never see them again." Saying the words out loud only served to make the loss feel more real.

"K-killed?" Naruto's voice shook. Sasuke could only nod in response, unsure how to explain or where to begin.

"You mean... Auntie is..."

Sasuke nodded again, neither of them wanting to complete the sentence.

"Mom... Father... They're gone," he muttered through his sobs. "Everyone. He said... I was going to be the last one..."

"L-last one?" Naruto stuttered, his voice sounding choked. "Is that why-?" He broke off.

Sasuke heard Naruto swallow but he ignored him. Sobbing, he collapsed on his arms and knees, running out of energy to do anything else.

Naruto squatted down at his side a second later. He placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, making him flinch. With no other words, he pulled Sasuke into a hug. Sasuke struggled against the gesture, but he was too weak to break Naruto's embrace. Reluctantly, he allowed Naruto to wrap his arms around him.

Sasuke froze when he heard Naruto's breath hitch as the other boy began to sob onto his shoulder. _He's... crying, too?_

Not knowing what else he could do, Sasuke returned the embrace, grabbing onto the back of Naruto's shirt with his fists. He stared off into space, sight blurry. Together, they knelt on the floor, not knowing what to say.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I'm sorry. **

**You can talk to me or scream at me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: life still goes on.**


	30. After the Fire

**In which promises are made.**

**Warning for discussions of death and grief.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke stared up at the ceiling, not remembering how he had gotten back into bed. He felt frozen and exhausted, unable to sense anything. The only thing he could hear was the rapid beat of his own heart. Part of him wanted to cry again, but even crying felt like too much effort.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke flinched. He turned his head to look at the boy lying down next to him.

"What?" Sasuke asked, his throat struggling to say the simple word. He watched as Naruto's expression shifted, thinking about how to word his question, whatever it was. His eyebrows creased in impatience. _Spit it out already._

After a few more seconds of contemplation, Naruto's eyes turned to meet Sasuke's.

"You said someone killed them," Naruto began. In an instant, a heaviness settled onto Sasuke's chest. He tensed, already aware of what Naruto wanted to know.

"Who-" Naruto looked away and swallowed, unable to finish the question.

Sasuke clenched his jaw before swallowing and turning his gaze back to the ceiling. He bit his lip, feeling tears building at the corners of his eyes again. He forced himself not to start sobbing through sheer force of will.

"Y-You don't have to say it," Naruto interrupted after a few seconds had passed. "It's just... just..." His voice cracked and he quieted.

They fell into silence once more, both lying side by side and staring at the ceiling, unsure of what to say to each other.

Sasuke tried to think of nothing, but images from the night before kept running through his mind. A sword streaked with crimson. His parents dead on the ground. Pools of blood in the street. Running in fear. Itachi's mocking words and a dare. _Did he ever think of us as his family?_

Sasuke balled his hands into fists, gathering the courage to reveal the truth. He grimaced, newly determined. He couldn't afford to be scared. He had to be stronger. Naruto would find out eventually anyway.

"Itachi," he muttered, voice so low it was little more than a whisper.

"Huh?" Sasuke felt Naruto's attention focused back on him, but he refused to meet the other boy's eyes.

"Itachi did it," Sasuke repeated, his voice stronger than the last time.

"I-Itachi?" Naruto bolted up, staring down at Sasuke on the bed. Even through his tears, Sasuke could see how Naruto's eyes had widened in shock. Hesitantly, Sasuke nodded and wiped his eyes with his forearm. "He... he killed them. Mom and Dad and... everyone. He told me he-" Sasuke froze, his vision clouding over once more. He quieted, holding his breath to swallow a sob.

"He... he said that..." Sasuke continued determinedly, suppressing the next wave of tears. "That he wanted to test himself."

"Test himself?" Naruto sounded as confused as Sasuke felt.

He grunted his assent with a nod. "He... that man... he said he would let me live. That I was gonna be the last Uchiha."

"What? Why?" Naruto moved closer, almost hovering above Sasuke.

"He told me to hate him," he muttered, avoiding Naruto's eyes by turning his head away. "He said he needed someone who could challenge him. He told me to-" _Kill my best friend and obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan._

He shook his head. If he confessed that to Naruto, the other boy would abandon him forever. With his family and his clan dead, there was no one else left. He swallowed, remembering the promise he had made to his mother what felt like years ago.

They fell back into silence. To his relief, Naruto didn't press him for more information, lying down at Sasuke's side once more instead. They turned their attention back to the ceiling as the seconds crawled by.

It wasn't until the sun had begun to set that Naruto spoke up once again.

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"Hn?" Sasuke grunted to show he was listening.

"Do you want to kill Itachi?" he blurted out, the question flying past his lips.

Sasuke spun his head to look at Naruto, eyes open wide in shock. Naruto's expression was uncharacteristically serious, meeting Sasuke's eyes with a frown. It wasn't judgemental and Sasuke already knew how Naruto would respond.

Sasuke nodded, his eyes still focused on Naruto. "I have to," he said, resigned to the inevitable.

At that, Naruto's face twitched into something that was half-grimace and half-smile. "I'll help you, ya know," he vowed, sky-blue eyes full of determination and sincerity. _He really means it..._

Sasuke looked away, not wanting his face to betray his gratitude. For the first time that day, Sasuke smiled, although it was bitter and despairing. Itachi was wrong. Sasuke would get stronger than him no matter what. _And I won't need the Mangekyo Sharingan for it._

"Thank you, Naruto," he mumbled. Naruto only grunted to show he had heard.

**O-O-O-O-O**

After making his promise, Naruto wasn't sure how long he stayed lying down next to Sasuke. He could only think about what had happened, wondering if he should have seen it coming earlier. He remembered Itachi had been acting weird for a long time. _Did we just not see it?_

At some point, night arrived, leaving the hospital room in darkness, but neither of them cared to turn on the lights. They said nothing, each lost in their own thoughts.

It wasn't until someone barged in, not bothering to knock, that Naruto and Sasuke were broken out of their stupor. The two boys bolted up, turning their attention to the door as a nurse walked in.

"Uchiha-san, I'm so sorry," she began while pushing a cart into the room. "All of our staff are currently-" The woman's mouth fell open when she saw Naruto sitting next to Sasuke. She froze, eyes wide open in shock.

Naruto fidgeted, remembering how he had snuck in earlier. "Um... hi?" he mumbled, waving his hand side to side with a fake grin on his face.

She unfroze and stomped toward the bed, glowering in familiar anger and disgust. "What are you doing here?" she screeched. "Uchiha-san needs to be resting! I don't know how _you _managed to get in, but you have to go now! I'll take you to Hokage-sama if I have to!"

At that, she grabbed onto Naruto's arm and pulled him out of bed. Naruto struggled instinctively although he already knew it was useless. He couldn't let the Hokage know he had skipped the exam and snuck into the hospital. Defeated, he allowed the nurse to begin pulling him away.

"Wait!" Sasuke shouted, jumping out of bed and grabbing onto Naruto's free wrist. "You can't take him!"

Naruto gaped at the other boy, his mouth falling open from shock. _What is he doing?_

At his protest, the nurse froze, her grip loosening slightly. "B-but, Uchiha-san," she began. "You need to recover! After what happened don't you want some-"

"No!" Sasuke shook his head furiously, tightening his hold on Naruto. With the nurse's hold loosened, he managed to pull Naruto to stand behind him. "I want him here!"

"Uchiha-san!" the nurse exclaimed, one of her hands over her mouth. "You-"

Sasuke shook his head again. "He's not leaving!" he insisted, standing like a shield in front of Naruto.

"B-but-! Uchiha-san!" The nurse turned to the two boys again. "He's-"

Sasuke growled. "I said no!" he shouted. "You can't take him away! He's staying!"

Silence fell in the hospital room. Naruto shuffled his feet, the tension almost overwhelming. Sasuke stood in front of him, shaking, angrier than Naruto could remember. The nurse only stared at them, her gaze shifting from Sasuke to Naruto, and back again. Finally, after what felt like hours, she swallowed, walking back to her cart.

"Fine," she said, staring at them with a confused frown. "Whatever you say, Uchiha-san."

At once, Naruto saw the tension in Sasuke's shoulders disappear. Both of them breathed out twin sighs of relief. _I just hope she doesn't tell Gramps I'm here._

"I have your dinner, Uchiha-san," she continued as she pushed the cart over next to the bed, a confused frown on her face. "I'm sorry it took so long. Our staff is all occupied with-" She paused to swallow.

Naruto shuddered and he could see Sasuke tense once more at her words. She didn't have to complete her sentence for them to know what she was talking about.

"With a lot of things," she continued determinedly. "I'm sorry this dinner is so late. You must be starving."

With that, Naruto felt his stomach growl in hunger, but the desire to eat was non-existent. He wondered if Sasuke felt the same way. Uncertainly, they headed back to bed, Sasuke still holding onto Naruto's wrist. They sat side by side as the nurse set dinner on the food tray next to the bed.

"I hope it's enough," she said. "If you're still hungry, I can bring you more. I'll come back in around an hour, Uchiha-san." With that said, she left, pushing her cart and sliding the door closed behind her.

Alone together, they glanced at each other awkwardly as Sasuke let go of Naruto's wrist. They looked away before inspecting the food in front of them. With nothing to say, they started on their meal, tasting nothing. Once the dishes were empty, they pushed the table back and laid back down, staring up at the ceiling once again.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Considering all the emotional turmoil emanating from the Room, Gaara was very glad he didn't have a mission.

Sometime after midnight the night before, he had felt a disturbance in the Room. It had felt a lot like anger and annoyance, mixed with spikes of fear. But after an hour or so, the feeling had dissipated and Gaara had been able to relax once more.

The morning after that, however, was not as nice. Soon after breakfast, Gaara kept absorbing anxiety emanating from the Room. He was sure the feeling originated from one of the jinchuuriki, but he had no idea what it could be. Trying to get his mind off of the borrowed emotions, he had paced around his room and inspected all of his potted plants.

To distract himself, he tried to come up with a reason for why one of the jinchuuriki was so anxious. _I think Naruto has a test. Maybe he's really nervous about it. And Fuu nee-chan was working with the Four-Tails transformation. Maybe Utakata nii-san has a mission with his team again. I think Mama and Papa are on a mission, too._

Gaara forced himself to ignore the temptation to enter the Room. He could tell no one was there. Plus, it would only take away from the precious time he could spend there later with everyone. He assumed someone was nervous and left it at that.

Unable to push the anxiety out of his mind, Gaara tried and failed to distract himself. He began to read a book about succulents but the words washed over him. Then, he tried to copy the detailed drawings from a gardening book into his sketchbook. However, the lines were scratchy and the proportions wrong. Unnerved, he sat down at his window and stared at the distant desert dunes instead.

He was not prepared to be hit by true despair sometime in the afternoon.

In an instant, his eyes welled with tears and he left his perch on the window to sit at the edge of his bed. He sobbed, feeling almost as miserable as when Yashamaru had died. Filled with sorrow, he cried into the palms of his hands, glad that he was safe and hidden in his bedroom.

_I'm just glad we don't have a mission_, he thought as he wiped the tears away from his eyes. He didn't know what would happen if Temari or Kankuro found him crying like that and he didn't want to ever find out.

It took him a few minutes to stop sobbing. When he did, he breathed out, slowly and methodically, same as Roshi had taught him long ago. Calm once more, he allowed the familiar mask of indifference to take over his face.

_What happened? Why am I so sad? Did someone... die?_ Worried, he exhaled one last time, slow and steady. He wiped his face before shifting into a cross-legged position, leaning his back on the wall.

In almost an instant, his mind took him to the Room. When he reappeared, he saw Fuu looking through the window of Naruto's Door. He walked closer, the feeling of grief intensifying. When he reached Fuu's side, he froze when he saw her face. Her eyes were shining and she appeared to be holding back tears.

"Fuu nee-chan?" Gaara said, trying to get her attention. "You-"

Fuu nodded, sparing him only a glance before turning her attention back to the window. "It's Naruto-kun," she said. "He's-" she swallowed. "He's trying to comfort his friend."

"Comfort? Why?" Curious, Gaara walked closer to Naruto's Door, standing on his tiptoes to try and see through the window. Instinctively, Fuu lifted him up to help him see, pushing her body against him in a protective hug. Together, they looked through but Naruto had closed his eyes and they could see nothing.

'_Naruto?'_ Gaara began tentatively as he placed his hand on the Door. The other boy refused to answer. Gaara grimaced. Naruto had never ignored him for longer than five seconds before.

'_Naruto?'_ he asked again, more insistent.

"I don't think he can talk right now," Fuu said, pressing her cheek next to his. "You know his friend, right?"

"Which friend?" Naruto always insisted that he only had one friend and one rival. However, based on what he had told them about the boy, Sasuke, they were friends in everything but name.

"Sasuke," Fuu answered. "Naruto hasn't told me what happened but I think..." she paused to gulp, looking down at the tiled floor. "I think his family is dead."

"D-dead!? But why? How?" Gaara took a step back from Naruto's Door. He pulled Fuu's hand so they stood apart, their conversation slightly more private.

Fuu squeezed Gaara's hand and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him once more. "I don't know," she admitted. "But you know what Sasuke's mother was like."

"I know."

Gaara wrapped his arms around Fuu's midsection. He had never seen the woman himself, but Gaara had heard everything about her from Naruto. She had planned Naruto a birthday party, invited him to stay over for New Year's, and taught him new recipes. Naruto had more nice words to say about her than anyone else in his life, at least.

They held each other for a few seconds, feeling Naruto's sadness as their own. Fuu began to comb her fingers through Gaara's hair, trying to offer as much comfort as she could. Gaara bit his lip, tightening his grip on Fuu. He wanted to stay longer but it was impossible. He couldn't let Shukaku take control again.

"I have to go," Gaara interrupted, speaking softly into Fuu's shoulder. "If I stay here any longer, I won't be able to spend a lot of time with the others tonight. I think we're gonna have a big talk later."

Fuu nodded. "I understand. Stay safe, Gaara-kun. I'll talk to you later." She pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"See you later, nee-chan." With that, Gaara left the Room.

Gaara opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his bedroom. He bit his lip and clutched his hand over his chest, balling the fabric of his shirt with a fist. He gulped before breathing out slowly.

Gaara walked to the windowsill, the sight of his plants soaking the light of the sun calming him down. He looked out at the empty desert as he waited impatiently for any news from Naruto.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu looked at the jinchuuriki assembled in the Room and fidgeted.

At her side, Naruto leaned his head on her shoulder, staring off into space, tear tracks on his face. On Naruto's other side, Gaara leaned against him, his cheek on Naruto's shoulder. She bit her lip as she wrapped her arms loosely around the youngest boy.

Fuu looked around the Room, waiting for someone to talk, but everyone was too afraid to break the silence. Finally, after a few tense minutes, Yagura cleared his throat. With that, the tension broke and everyone shifted in their place.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," the former Mizukage said. "We know how much that family meant to you."

Naruto nodded at his words, refusing to look up. "Sasuke's brother," he muttered, voice croaky and strained. "Itachi... he killed them. Sasuke's the last one, ya know."

The adults grimaced. They moved closer, forming a close-knit ring of jinchuuriki. Roshi knelt down and began combing his fingers through Naruto's hair.

"I know how important they were to you," Roshi began. "And I'm sorry. But they are never coming back."

Naruto sniffled, looking up to meet Roshi's face, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Mama, why do people have to die?" he asked.

Roshi grimaced, but he refused to look away. "I'm not sure, Naruto," the older man said with a sigh. "People die and people are born. It's a circle of life and death."

"But why?" Naruto asked again, more insistent, sounding almost angry.

Roshi sighed, wearier than Fuu had ever seen him before. "I really don't know, Naruto," he confessed. "That's just how the world works. We don't even know for sure what happens after we die. We simply have to keep living."

"Then..." Naruto swallowed, managing not to break down into tears once more. "What's the point of living if we all just... die at the end?"

"I don't know, Naruto-kun," Roshi continued. "I just don't. And there is no way for people to find out for sure. We can only keep living the lives we have."

Naruto looked away, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He bit his lip, unsatisfied with the answer. Roshi grimaced at the reaction, unsure of what to say. The Room fell into awkward silence once more.

"Do you know what I think, Naruto-kun?" Utakata interrupted, speaking for the first time.

Naruto, Fuu, and Gaara turned their gaze to the older boy in surprise. Utakata had stood silently at Yugito's side since they arrived in the Room. Hearing him speak up was unusual.

With all the attention focused on him, Utakata stepped closer, kneeling down next to Roshi.

"W-what is it, nii-san?" Naruto asked, eyes glistening with hesitant hope.

"What matters in the world is our connections with each other," Utakata continued. "When we remember our bonds with the people that we have and that came before, those that die will never be truly gone. With those memories, you won't see them, but they will still always be with you. In that way, people can live forever."

"R-really?" Naruto asked. He looked up at Utakata, one tear falling silently down his cheek. Utakata only nodded in assent. Naruto wiped the teardrop away with his knuckles, sniffling.

"I didn't know you were such a philosopher, Utakata-kun," Yagura commented, sounding pleased yet surprised.

"I have many talents," Utakata retorted as he stood up. "I can reach the food on the top shelf for one."

Yagura said nothing at that and instead glared at Utakata. To Fuu's relief, Naruto let out a sad chuckle at the exchange. She tightened her grip around his shoulders.

"Naruto, I know what you're feeling right now," Fuu said, voice soft. "When I learned my mother had died and when Kushina-san died, too... I wasn't sure if I could keep going." She paused to swallow, feeling tears building at the corners of her eyes. "But I realized that... I can be happy because I had a chance to be with them... to know them and love them a lot when they were still here. And when I remember them... it hurts. But like nii-san said, it also means they will never be really gone."

Unable to hold herself back anymore, she let the tears fall. She wiped them away, loosening her hug on Naruto. When he saw her crying, Gaara moved closer, wrapping his arms around her. She sniffled and watched as Naruto turned his attention back to Roshi.

"Mama," Naruto said, voice little more than a whisper. "Does it ever get easier? Do you ever... stop caring?"

Roshi's face hardened. He pulled Naruto into his arms in a hug. "No," he admitted as he tightened his hold on the boy. "When you love someone, losing them is the worst pain you can experience. But that pain makes you remember that despite what everyone says, you're still a human. Nothing more, nothing less."

At that, Naruto began to sob again, burying his face into Roshi's shoulders.

The Room fell into silence once more except for Naruto's wailing. Roshi wrapped Naruto in his arms, holding onto him like he used to do when he was much younger. Fuu pulled Gaara toward her. They leaned upon each other, linking their hands together. The rest of the jinchuuriki looked at the display before them, eyes full of pity and compassion. Together, they waited for Naruto to stop crying.

After a few minutes, Naruto stopped and wiped his face with his forearm. He sighed, his arms wrapping around Roshi once more. He pressed his chin onto the man's shoulder and stared forlornly down at the floor.

Fuu breathed out a sigh of relief and she saw tension release from Gaara's shoulders as well. _He still has us_, she thought to herself as she tightened her grip on Gaara. They sat side by side, feeling Naruto's grief as their own.

Yugito interrupted with a sigh.

Everyone, even Naruto, turned their attention toward her. For some reason, Han and Roshi tensed, looking away from her in fear. Fuu frowned. _What's wrong? Did something happen between them?_

Yugito sighed again when she noticed all the attention had focused on her. "I had hoped to say this under better circumstances," she began. "But I think there's something a few of us need to _confess_."

She glared at Roshi and Han, crossing her arms in front of her chest. With Naruto still on his lap, Roshi blushed and looked away. Nearby, Han shuffled his feet and tucked his hand into his armor in a nervous gesture. From the corner of her eye, Fuu saw Yagura with a smirk on his face.

Fuu blinked and tilted her head to the side in confusion. _Okay, seriously, what happened?_

"Wait, what?" Utakata asked as he turned his gaze among Han, Roshi, Yagura, and Yugito. "Did you four do something?"

"Hmm, you could say _someone _did _something_," Yugito answered evasively. She turned her attention back to Han and Roshi, who avoided meeting her eyes.

"Oh, what's been happening here? Is it something you fear?" B began. "When Yugito says confess, you better not stress! Just say it out loud, you have been allowed, you dumbass phonies!" Killer B finished his rap by pointing at the two men in accusation.

Han and Roshi sighed, exhausted and annoyed. They shared glances before looking back at the rest of the group.

"Do you want to tell them or should I?" Han asked, voice full of weariness.

"Oh, by all means, go ahead," Roshi grumbled.

Seeing something was coming, Naruto unwrapped his arms from Roshi's neck. He crawled back to sit down between Fuu and Gaara. The three of them leaned on each other for comfort as they waited to hear what the two men had to confess. As one, the jinchuuriki turned their attention to Han, who was clearing his throat in anticipation.

"We're missing-nin," Han confessed, a nervous grimace on his face.

"What!?" Gaara, Utakata, Fuu, Killer B, and Naruto shouted together. "Missing-nin!?"

"Wait... since when are you missing-nin?" Utakata asked. "And why? What happened? Where are you two now? How did you two escape Iwagakure?"

"It's... kind of a long story," Roshi said, overwhelmed by the number of questions.

"It's really not," Yagura retorted with a snort.

"No. It isn't," Han agreed with a sigh. "The Tsuchikage asked us to do a mission together that we thought was deplorable. We decided to escape the village instead. As for where we are... Well, we are currently camping with Yagura and Yugito near a small village in the Land of Lightning."

"Huh?" Utakata, if anything, looked more lost than before. "Since when have you been with Yugito and Yagura?"

"Well, we met up last night while making camp," Roshi said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "But Han and I have been missing-nin for around a year now."

"A _year_!?" Utakata shouted. "Why didn't you tell us earlier? This is the kind of information we need to know at once! I can't believe you would keep this hidden!"

"Also, we haven't been alone," Roshi continued. "Yagura has been traveling with us. We've been learning how to control the power of the bijuu with his help."

At that, Yagura straightened his back, smirking as he looked around the Room. "They wouldn't be able to figure out what to do without my help, after all," he boasted.

"And how come you didn't tell us earlier?" Utakata asked, still looking furious.

"We didn't want to worry everyone," Roshi admitted. "We thought it would be easier for us to work in secrecy, at least for a while. I doubt Iwagakure has admitted we've deserted the village, either."

"No." Yugito shook her head. "I don't think the Raikage knows you two are jinchuuriki. However, you two made names for yourselves during the Third Shinobi War. If two well-known shinobi were put on a wanted list, we would have heard about it before. A listing for your heads would have made the rounds."

"Sorry," Roshi apologized. Still kneeling on the ground, he tilted his head down.

From his standing position, Han bent his head forward, equally remorseful. "We should have revealed the truth earlier," he said. "Please forgive us."

Yugito glared at them with a frown. "I can't stay angry at you two if you apologize," she complained.

"When you say sorry, my eyes get starry," Killer B sang. "What matters is sincerity, with that there is prosperity, oh yeah!"

"There's just one more question I have," Utakata continued, ignoring B effortlessly.

"What is it?" Roshi asked wearily.

"What mission was so loathsome that you decided to declare yourselves missing-nin instead?"

The two men exchanged glances, having a silent conversation between themselves. Making a decision, they nodded to each other and turned, focusing on Fuu for some reason. She tilted her head to the side, confused about why they were looking at her.

"Fuu-chan," Roshi began. "We left Iwagakure because of you."

Fuu blinked before pointing at herself. "M-me? What do I have to do with anything?" Naruto looked up at her, a confused frown on his face. On Naruto's side, Gaara seemed equally bewildered.

Roshi hummed to himself before answering. "It has to do with the mission we got from the Tsuchikage," he answered. "You see, we-" he swallowed, looking around at the assembled jinchuuriki once more. "We were ordered to find the jinchuuriki of Takigakure and kill it."

"What!?" all the other jinchuuriki except for Han and Yaguara shouted in surprise and horror.

"K-kill?" Utakata stuttered, a disgusted grimace on his face.

"Oh that's truly evil, to kill a little girl is primeval, you dumbass phony!" Killer B shouted, dancing angrily.

"Kill me!?" Fuu shouted, voice shaking. She turned her gaze desperately between Han and Roshi, grabbing the hem of her skirt with her fists. "Why did they wanna kill me?"

The other jinchuuriki turned their attention toward her, seemingly wondering the same thing. Han and Roshi stared at her, their eyes sad. Fuu waited for someone to explain, trembling in shock and fear.

Roshi was the first to break the silence. "After that attack in your village, Iwagakure learned about a jinchuuriki in Takigakure" he began. "Onoki thus learned about you, though he didn't know exactly _who _the Nanabi Jinchuuriki was."

"We couldn't go and complete the mission," Han said, continuing Roshi's explanation. "We talked to Yagura and we decided it would be best to abandon the village."

"Why didn't you talk to the rest of us?" Yugito asked, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance. "You said it's been around a year, right?"

"We didn't want to worry you," Roshi explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "Han agreed with me, so we decided to keep our decision secret."

"Were you ever going to tell us?" Utakata asked, joining Yugito's side.

"When we became infamous bounty hunters," Han answered. "We should have told you earlier, though. I'm sorry." He bowed his head down in apology once more.

"Well, if it was to keep Fuu-chan safe, I can kind of understand why," Yugito admitted grudgingly.

"We must protect our butterfly, I never wanna say goodbye," Killer B rapped. "Protect her we must, she can't bite the dust, yeah!"

Fuu stared at the conversation happening in front of her, her jaw falling open in awe and surprise. Without being aware of it, her sight blurred and she realized she had started crying, harder than before.

"Fuu..." Gaara noticed her state first, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She squeezed his hands in gratitude.

"Nee-chan..." Naruto said, hugging her midsection.

"Thank you," she said, bowing her head down almost to the floor as the tears fell, staining her skirt. "You... I..." she started bawling, not sure how to put her feelings into words._ Do they care about me that much? To leave their own villages?_

The two boys clung to her in support more tightly than before. Despite the situation, she smiled, swallowing a sob to allow her to speak.

"Thank you," she said once again, bowing her head in gratitude. "Thank you for caring about me so much. I- I don't think I can ever repay you."

"Fuu-chan..." Roshi leaned forward and pulled her head up by her chin, wiping her tears away from her face. He met her eyes, a gentle smile on his lips. "You don't have to repay us. We did it because we wanted to keep you safe."

Overwhelmed, Fuu leaped forward, wrapping her arms around Roshi's neck. He grunted before returning the gesture, rubbing the palms of his hands in gentle circles on her back. She bawled onto his shoulder, staining his shirt with tears.

"You're more important than our village, Fuu," Han said, moving to stand behind Roshi. He placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "Though, to be honest, Onoki was a fucking asshole and we're happy to be rid of him."

"Language!" Roshi scolded.

Fuu giggled, Roshi's familiar annoyance more comforting than expected.

"I know it doesn't mean much, Fuu," Gaara said, squeezing her shoulder. "But I think you're more important than Sunagakure,"

"When I'm Hokage, I'll make sure to protect you too, Fuu," Naruto added as he squeezed her other shoulder. "I'll help, ya know!"

She sniffled and looked around the Room. While the other jinchuuriki were silent, she could tell they felt the same way as the two boys. Utakata, Yagura, and Yugito smiled at her, eyes gentle. Killer B struck a pose, grinning with his thumbs up. Han and Roshi looked down at her, protective and kind.

Still squeezing her hands, Gaara and Naruto met her gaze. Reassured, Fuu wiped the tears and snot away from her face with her forearm. She looked up and grinned at everyone.

"Thank you," she said for the last time. She couldn't remember ever feeling so loved before in her life. _I knew they cared about me, but not so much they'd become missing-nin._

"Sometimes there are more important things than what the village wants us to do," Utakata concluded with a nod, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Fuu smiled, looking down at the floor while biting her lip. She nodded, glad to have so many people that cared.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: This was the hardest chapter to write that I can remember. I think it breaks the record for the most crying in one chapter, too.**

**These last two chapters (and the next one) are taking A LOT out of me. There almost definitely won't be a chapter next Saturday.**

**If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites. I'm also on Discord at WaffleDogOfficial#0023.**

**Next chapter: the dust settles.**


	31. Biased Perceptions

**In which life tries to return to normal and plans are made.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he was greeted by Naruto's snoring face in front of him. He got a sudden need to push him away and wake him up but he stopped himself. It was hard to go back to their normal rivalry after everything.

Sasuke left the bed and headed toward the bathroom, locking it closed behind him. He used the facilities quickly, washing his hands for longer than necessary. He turned off the tap and pressed the palms of his hands down on the counter, processing.

Shaking, Sasuke looked up to stare at himself in the mirror for the first time since the Massacre. His face was pale and his hair messier than he had imagined. _Mom always complained my hair could never stay still for long._

The memory of his mother sent a jolt of grief coursing through his body and he gasped, pressing his forehead down on the counter. He forced himself to breathe deeply, in and out, to take back some control. Shivering, he looked back up and turned the tap back on, cold water rushing out. Hands shaking, he washed his face, combing his fingers through his hair in a vain attempt to style it.

When he finished, he stood panting, watching as the water went down the drain. He looked up, staring at his own reflection. His eyes were dark and tired, full of grief and exhaustion. His face was pale and sunken, forehead creased into a frown. _I look like Itachi._

The thought left a sour taste in his tongue. He had to resist the temptation not to punch the surface of the mirror. Wiping his hand in front of his face one last time, he exhaled and forced a mask of calmness to take over.

With his mask on, Sasuke walked out and made his way back to bed. He was unsurprised to find Naruto awake, sitting up and staring off into space.

"So it wasn't a dream," the blond muttered, staring down at his knees.

Sasuke shook his head, the now-familiar pain in his chest tightening.

Naruto pulled his knees up to his chest, placing his chin on top. "I should have known better."

Sasuke stared at him in awkward silence, unsure how to respond. "They're gone. There's nothing else to say."

"But... when we remember someone, they're never really gone, ya know?" Naruto smiled at him sadly before pushing the blanket away. Saying nothing else, he stood up and headed to the toilet, locking the door closed behind him.

Sasuke stared at the locked door, unsure what to name the emotions running around in his mind.

Naruto's words ran through his head. _When we remember someone, they're never really gone._ He thought about his mother, confident and kind, willing to teach him new shuriken tricks whenever she had time. His father, strict and serious, but omnipresent and protective. _Father said he was proud of me._

Sasuke clenched his teeth and bit his tongue to stop himself from crying again. He sat at the edge of the bed and stared off into space as he waited for Naruto. He didn't want to admit how much he was starting to rely on him already. _But Mom did make me promise._

Not knowing what else to do, Sasuke crawled back into bed and waited for Naruto to return and join him in his misery.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Shortly after, the same nurse that had brought dinner the night before entered with a cart full of food. She glared at Naruto again, but the other boy seemed oblivious to her disdain.

"Here is your breakfast, Uchiha-san," she said with a kind smile before turning to Naruto with a grimace. "And for you, too, I suppose."

Sasuke glared at her, refusing to thank her.

"Thank you, miss," Naruto said politely.

The woman scowled at his words but said nothing else. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, but the other boy didn't seem to find anything strange about her reaction. He frowned to himself in consternation. _Doesn't Naruto notice how rude she is?_

Ignoring Naruto, the nurse set a collection of dishes down on the bedside table. "I made sure to get larger portions," she said. "That should make it easier for you two to share. We are finally winding down after... yesterday. I'll be back in around an hour to pick up the dishes. Is there anything you need, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke shook his head, scowling at the woman. Satisfied, she walked away, not bothering to glance in Naruto's direction. Pushing the cart, she left, sliding the door closed behind her. Sasuke stared after her in annoyance. _She didn't even bother to ask Naruto if he needed anything._

"I think there's more food than yesterday, ya know," Naruto muttered at his side. "Look, there are two bowls of miso soup, too."

"Hn."

Sasuke looked down at the table. He only had a vague recollection of the meal from the night before, but the portions looked bigger and the rice and soup were served in separate bowls. There were also two separate pairs of chopsticks. _So we won't have to share today._

"Thank you for the meal," Naruto mumbled, clapping his hands together.

"Thank you for the meal." Sasuke followed his lead, separating the chopsticks in half.

In silence, they began to eat. Unlike the night before, Sasuke's stomach rumbled in hunger and the meal in front of him looked like a dream. Starving, he picked up the bowl of rice and began shoveling the grains into his mouth as fast as possible. At his side, Naruto ate the same way, only pausing to chew and breathe.

After a few minutes, they slowed down the pace and Sasuke was able to appreciate the flavors. It was not as good as his mother's cooking, but after eating only a single meal, it was almost heavenly. Sasuke took a bite of daikon radish, watching from the corner of his eye as Naruto took a sip from his miso soup. He frowned. _Why was that nurse so rude, anyway?_

"Hey, Naruto."

Naruto grunted to show he had heard. He turned to meet Sasuke's eyes, setting the bowl of miso soup down. He raised an eyebrow, curious.

"I just wanted to know something," Sasuke began. He placed his chopsticks down, staring at the surface of the table.

"Hm? What is it, Sasuke?" From the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw Naruto taking a piece of tamagoyaki with his chopsticks.

Sasuke bit his lip to gather his courage and exhaled. "Why do so many people in the village seem to hate you?" he asked.

In an instant, a heavy chill settled over Naruto. Sasuke held his breath, afraid he had offended his only friend.

"Why do you wanna know?" Naruto asked, voice full of anger and hurt.

Sasuke flinched and looked away, already regretting ever asking the question. "I've just... noticed there are a lot of people who don't seem to like you," he said, forcing himself not to fidget. "I... don't understand it." Gathering his courage, Sasuke turned back to meet Naruto's eyes.

To his relief, Naruto didn't look angry at Sasuke but instead seemed upset about the situation at large. Sasuke felt a weight easing from his stomach.

"I don't know," Naruto said, voice full of anger. He bit into the tamagoyaki and looked away, chewing furiously.

Sasuke gulped. "Sorry," he apologized. "I don't know why that nurse is so rude to you. And... I've heard a lot of people talking badly about you. I... wanted to know why."

"I don't know!" Naruto repeated his words, angrier than before. "Maybe it's cause of my parents! Whoever they are! Or maybe it's cause everyone is mean and evil! How am I supposed to know?"

Sasuke flinched, regretting ever deciding to ask the question. "Sorry," he apologized again. He picked up his chopsticks and began fidgeting with them for something to do. His appetite had left him and lifting the food up to his mouth sounded like a chore.

"No... I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto replied with a sigh, voice softer. "It's not like it's your fault, ya know?"

Sasuke turned to his friend, confused. Naruto had a small frown on his face and he was staring down at their meal. He played with his chopsticks before looking up and meeting Sasuke's eyes. Holding his breath, Sasuke waited for Naruto to speak.

"Thank you for worrying about me," Naruto said, a small, fake smile on his lips. "But you don't need to. I'm fine."

Sasuke breathed out a sigh of relief. _So he's not angry at me and just wants to move on._ "Thank you, Naruto. But... I didn't like how that nurse was talking to you."

Naruto chuckled, angry and annoyed. "Yeah, well, whatever. Don't worry about me, ya know."

"Hn. Can't help it. You need help with everything, loser."

"Shut up, jerk," Naruto retorted, taking another piece of tamagoyaki and shoving it in his mouth.

For the first time since waking up in the hospital, Sasuke smiled with sincere happiness. _At least some things haven't changed._

**O-O-O-O-O**

_Why do so many people in the village seem to hate you?_

To his relief, Sasuke didn't press Naruto for an answer again. However, Naruto couldn't get the question out of his mind. After all, Sasuke would never stay friends with him if he knew the Kyuubi was sealed inside of him.

With their breakfast finished, they pushed the table back and stared at the ceiling together. The now-familiar nurse arrived later in the afternoon with a cart full of food. That time, they ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. It was only a few hours later that they were forced out of their introspection.

As they were lying in bed side by side, they heard someone knocking on the door.

"Sasuke-kun?" the Third Hokage's familiar voice said. "May I come in, please?"

In an instant, Naruto remembered what he had done. He had not only left the Academy in the middle of an exam, but he had also skipped class the day after.

"Shit, that's the old man!" he whispered as he jumped out of bed.

"Who?" Sasuke stared at him, dumbfounded as he turned his gaze between the door and Naruto.

"The old man!" Naruto repeated, slightly louder as he began crawling under the bed. "Don't let him know I'm here or he'll take away my allowance!"

"Your what?"

Naruto's last view before crawling underneath was of a confused Sasuke staring at him with a pout. With a final shushing sound, he hid under the bed.

"Sasuke-kun?" the Hokage knocked on the door again, more insistent than before.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, come in," Sasuke said in a loud, and slightly confused voice.

From under the bed, Naruto saw as the door slid open and the Hokage walked in. He gulped, pressing a hand in front of his mouth to keep himself from making a sound. He prayed to whatever gods might exist that the old man wouldn't find him hiding under Sasuke's hospital bed. He would never hear the end of it.

"Good afternoon, Sasuke-kun," the Hokage said, walking to Sasuke's bedside.

"Afternoon," Sasuke replied, still sounding confused.

"I'm sorry we waited so long to talk, Sasuke-kun," the Hokage continued. "I'm very sorry about everything that has happened. I'm sure this must be a very difficult time for you."

"Hn." Naruto could almost imagine Sasuke clenching the blanket in anger.

Sasuke said nothing else as the room devolved into complete and total silence. Naruto clenched his teeth in annoyance. _Be more polite to the old man, jerk!_

"Do you know who I am, Sasuke-kun?" the man asked, trying to break the tension.

"You're the Third Hokage," Sasuke answered. "You gave a speech at the entrance ceremony of the Academy."

The Hokage hummed in assent. "Yes, and as the Hokage, you have been placed under my protection. I promise that I will make sure that you are safe here in Konoha."

"Safe?" Naruto could hear more than a hint of anger in Sasuke's voice.

The Hokage continued on, seemingly ignoring Sasuke's tone. "Yes, for that, we need to talk about your situation starting soon."

"My... situation?"

"Hm, yes. The Uchiha compound is currently out of bounds," the old man explained. "We are still finishing our investigation and clean-up. You may visit at a later date if you wish; I cannot stop you. However, I cannot allow you to go back to living there."

"Then, where will I live?" Sasuke asked.

"We are currently setting up an apartment for you. You will only need to stay in the hospital for one or two more nights. With your inheritance, you will be able to live comfortably. It will be closer to the Academy as well."

"Hn. Fine." Naruto wished he could go out and punch Sasuke for his rudeness.

The old man sighed, tired at Sasuke's continued coldness. "You will also obtain a weekly allowance taken from your family's account. While it will be a set amount, you will have access to the full fund by the time you graduate and become an official genin of Konohagakure."

"Anything else?"

The Hokage hummed to himself before continuing, unsure what to make of Sasuke's attitude. "Of course, because of the situation, you will be excused from the final exams. They will not be counted toward your-"

"Shit!" Naruto cursed involuntarily.

At once, Sasuke broke out into a strong and violent coughing fit, trying to hide Naruto's reaction. "Sorry," he coughed. "Must be getting sick." He coughed again.

Naruto felt his face pale in fear. _Please don't look under the bed, Gramps. _To his relief, the Hokage said nothing else and instead waited for Sasuke to finish coughing. Naruto let out a small sigh of relief and listened as Sasuke took a sip of water.

"What were you saying?" Sasuke asked, voice cold and impatient.

The old man hummed to himself before continuing his explanation. "These last three exams will not be counted toward your final grade," he said. "Normally missing an exam is an automatic zero." Naruto gulped. "However, because of your circumstances, it will not be counted toward your final grade and your ability to continue to the next year."

Naruto shuddered in fear. _Ability to continue to the next year? Will I have to take the year over again? Then I won't be with Sasuke and Hinata-chan!_

"I see," Sasuke replied, voice calm and collected. Naruto almost wanted to cry at his cold reaction.

"That's everything I needed to tell you," the Hokage said. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"No."

"Is there anything you want me to do to help?"

"No."

The old man hummed to himself, sounding almost frustrated. "I know this is a difficult time for you, Sasuke-kun," he said. "Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. My goal is to keep you safe."

"You already said that."

"It's fine to cry if you need to," the old man continued, voice gentle.

"Okay," Sasuke said, tone full of annoyance.

"Are you sure there's nothing you want right now?"

"I want to be alone," Sasuke grumbled.

The Hokage sighed, long and deep, to himself. "If that's what you want, Sasuke-kun, I'll go for now. If you want or need anything, don't be afraid to contact me. The staff of the hospital can help."

"Fine."

"Goodbye, Sasuke-kun, have a good day."

"Goodbye."

With their farewells finished, Naruto watched as the Hokage's feet walked away and exited, sliding the door closed behind him. Naruto waited a few seconds to be safe before crawling back out and climbing up onto Sasuke's side.

"That was close!" he said, letting out a relieved sigh.

Sasuke glared at him with a confused frown. "Why did you have to hide, anyway?" he asked. "And what was that you said about an allowance?"

"I just didn't wanna get in trouble," Naruto explained before glaring back. "And why were you so rude to him! He's the Hokage, ya know!"

"Hn. You seemed afraid of him. Doesn't he hate you?"

Naruto slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand in exasperation. "It's the opposite, jerk!" he shouted, punching Sasuke on the shoulder. "He gives me my allowance and is nice to me! I just didn't wanna make him mad cause I skipped class for two days in a row, ya know!"

At that, Sasuke's eyes widened in understanding. He looked away, a hint of pink on his face. "I see," he mumbled, pouting. "How was I supposed to know that?"

Naruto huffed. "You aren't, but you're still supposed to be polite to people!"

"At least I don't make a sound when I'm supposed to be hiding."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause..." he bit his lip and looked away, down at the floor. "I'm worried now since I didn't take the first two exams. And tomorrow is the last day before the summer vacation, too."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke clench the blanket in his fists. "So you need to go to the Academy tomorrow, right?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, what's the point? Iruka-sensei's just gonna get mad at me. I'll be lucky if he doesn't make me clean every inch of the classroom during the break, ya know?"

Sasuke hummed to himself. "You should go," he said, turning dark and tired eyes toward Naruto.

Naruto huffed, shaking his head again. "I don't wanna go to school right now." He looked down at his knees. After what had happened and with Sasuke in the hospital, the thought of going to school left a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn't think he could concentrate on anything even if he attended.

"You have to," Sasuke insisted. "You're not excused like I am. If you fail the year, then you'll be held back and you'll..." Sasuke cleared his throat. "You'll be in a different class than me."

Naruto turned and gaped at him, eyes wide. He smiled to himself. "Fine, if you really care so much," he mumbled. "I'll go tomorrow. But..."

"But what?"

"I should go home and take a shower, ya know?" Naruto scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, you should. You stink."

Naruto was barely able to stop himself from pushing Sasuke off the bed. "Look who's talking!" he mumbled.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Iruka was taken out of his work by the sound of knocking on the door of the teacher's lounge. He looked around at the other instructors who had arrived early and were waiting for the beginning of class. None of them seemed in a particular hurry to answer the knock from the door.

"Come in!" Iruka called out. At the sound of his voice, the door to the teacher's lounge slid open, almost tentatively.

Iruka was not expecting to see Naruto standing at the doorway shuffling his feet.

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, raising his tone of voice automatically. "What do you have to say for yourself? Did you think you were excused from the exams?"

From the doorway, Naruto flinched. He avoided Iruka's eyes and shuffled his feet again, staring at one of the walls of the room.

"S-sorry, Iruka-sensei," the boy murmured. "I just..." He swallowed and looked down at the floor, contrite.

Iruka sighed and motioned for the boy to walk closer. Naruto bit his lip before stepping inside the teacher's lounge and walking toward his desk. Nervous, he shoved his hands into his pockets as he stood in front of Iruka, keeping his eyes trained on the floor.

"What happened?" Iruka asked, leaning back in his chair. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he waited for the boy to explain his absence for the last two days. "Why did you miss the last two exams when you know how important they are? Did you think you were special just because Sasuke was not there?"

"Well... uh... that's because..." Naruto continued to fidget, avoiding Iruka's eyes.

Iruka sighed and glanced around the teacher's lounge as his student got his thoughts in order. Ever since Naruto had entered the room, the other instructors had turned to watch. Bekko and Iwana were glaring openly at the boy. Suzume was watching the spectacle as she pretended to read her book. Meanwhile, Mizuki had placed his head on top of his desk, feigning sleep. Iruka sighed in annoyance. _Glad you all are enjoying the show._

"What is it, Naruto? We don't have all day," Iruka grumbled. He still had a few exams to prepare plus final reviews to plan for the class.

The boy flinched again and he took his hands out of his pockets to play with the hem of his T-shirt. "I- I wasn't feeling very good, Iruka-sensei," he said. "So I left early and then yesterday I just felt worse."

"You know I can't allow you to make up for the exams you missed already, right, Naruto?" Iruka asked, staring down at the nervous boy standing in front of him.

Naruto swallowed. "I know, Iruka-sensei. But... I don't wanna be held back. I... I wanna stay with my classmates next year. Can I at least take today's exam? I promise I won't leave early this time, ya know! I promise!"

Iruka hummed to himself in deep thought, trying to ignore all the curious glances from the other teachers. He stared down at Naruto, who still refused to meet his eyes. After a few more seconds of consideration, he grunted his assent and nodded.

"Fine, Naruto," he said. "I'll let you take the exam today. You need to do well on it or it will bring down your average score at the end of the year. If you're not careful, you might even be held back."

Naruto bit his lip again and tightened his grip on his shirt. "Okay, Iruka-sensei. I'll try really hard." Despite his confident words, his tone betrayed his true nervousness.

"Well, I still have some class materials to prepare, Naruto," Iruka said, glancing back at the documents on his desk. "I will see you in class. Don't skip again or I will be forced to fail you."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto relax a tiny amount. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei." The boy bowed his head down respectfully and walked out, sliding the door closed behind him.

Iruka let out yet another sigh before turning his chair around toward his desk. He had opened up his class agenda when he felt the presence of someone standing close behind him.

"Huh, so you can actually manage to talk to that monster without vomiting, Iruka?" Iwana's familiar voice said from his left side. "I don't think I'd be able to say anything back if I had that _demon _in my class."

Iruka shrugged. "I try to treat all my students equally," he said, trying to maintain a neutral tone of voice. He had no reason to believe the Kyuubi was anything more than a normal, though perhaps distracted, boy.

"That's a fine thing to aim for," Bekko added, placing his hand on Iruka's shoulder. "But it still doesn't change the fact that the monster almost destroyed our village and killed the Fourth Hokage. My younger sister was one of the first casualties..." The veteran instructor stopped talking, his sister's death an ever-present sore spot.

Iruka clenched his hands into fists. "Still, we are obligated to teach the boy the same way we do any of the other students," he argued. "And that includes worrying about his advancement at the Academy."

"You should be more worried about Sasuke Uchiha," Suzume added, speaking up for the first time. "After what happened to his family, the boy needs support."

At that, the other Academy instructors nodded their agreement, Iruka following along. Sasuke was possibly the most anti-social student in his class. He dreaded to think what the loss of his entire family would do to him. When Iruka's parents had died, Mizuki had been there for him. But Sasuke didn't seem to have any friends or anyone else to rely on.

_I'll offer my help when he returns to class_, he vowed.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Iruka stared at the students taking the exam, on the lookout for signs of cheating. To his relief, every student was focused on the booklet in front of them, the last test before the summer break.

He sighed in contentment, glad his students were working hard. His smile turned into a frown when his eyes fell upon Naruto.

For the entire day, the boy had been uncharacteristically quiet and reserved, sharing only a few words with an upset Hinata Hyuuga, his only friend. He had stared out through the window the entire day, not paying attention to anything Iruka said. A few times, Iruka had tried to get him to participate by asking him questions. However, the boy had refused to try and answer anything.

Even after their lunch break, Naruto had been despondent, staring off into space and contributing nothing. Upon receiving his exam booklet, he had written down his name and glared at his test, a frown on his face. Iruka had yet to see him answer any questions.

Iruka's eye began to twitch. _Didn't you say you would try!?_

"Iruka-sensei!" Iruka was snapped out of his annoyance by Sakura's voice walking toward his desk.

"Ah, Sakura, done already?"

The girl nodded, a pleased smile on her face. "I double-checked my answers, too!" Her cheeks flushed pink with pride.

Iruka beamed back at her, accepting her exam booklet and placing it on his desk. "Thank you, Sakura, you can leave now, if you want."

"Oh, um..." the girl looked away in slight embarrassment. "Is it okay if I wait for Ino to finish?"

Iruka chuckled. "Sure." The girl's eyes lit up. "You can wait for her outside the classroom." Her cheer fell and she pouted.

"Okay, sensei." With a defeated sigh, she walked back to her desk and gathered her things. She walked away, waving at Ino in farewell and begging for the other girl to finish quickly.

Iruka shook his head in amusement. He was glad Ino's company had managed to get Sakura out of her shell.

Soon after Sakura finished, the other students started to come in droves. Some dropped off their booklet with nary a word before running out. Some turned it in asking for Iruka to be merciful. Yet others smirked and declared how easy it was before walking out.

To his surprise, Hinata was one of the last ones to turn in her exam. She had been acting out of sorts for the last two days, although not to the same extent as Naruto. She turned in her booklet with a bow of her head, stuttering out wishes for Iruka to have a good summer.

Not long after that, he was left in the classroom with the sole remaining student, everyone else already finished.

Iruka was becoming worried. While Naruto tended to be slower than the others, he had never spent so long that he was the last one remaining. The boy was looking down at his exam with a blank stare on his face. His pencil was gripped tight in his hand and his eyes were unmoving, reading none of the words in front of him. Iruka frowned.

Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Naruto, begging for him to finish. One of the best benefits of being a teacher was the summer vacation and he didn't want to waste any precious seconds.

"Naruto."

Naruto startled and he looked up at the sound of his name, tightening his grip on his pencil. "Yes, sensei?" he asked with a confused frown on his face.

Iruka's frown deepened. "How long do you need to finish, Naruto? I don't have all day!"

Naruto looked away before glancing around the classroom. With a start, he seemed to realize the rest of his classmates had left. His eyes widened and he looked at the clock hanging from the wall. When reading the time, his jaw dropped in surprise. Frantically, he turned his gaze from the unfinished exam to the clock and back again, biting his lip.

Iruka sighed again. "How much longer do you need, Naruto?" he asked. "I can give you thirty more-"

"No." Naruto shook his head, interrupting Iruka before he could say anything else. "It's fine, sensei. I don't think I can do anything else anymore. Besides, I have somewhere I have to be, ya know."

He grinned at Iruka before standing up, closing his exam booklet. "I don't think there's anything else I can do, sensei." He dropped the test on top of the pile and walked back to his seat to gather his things.

Iruka looked at the boy in confusion. He had never seen him as out of sorts before.

"All right, thank you, Naruto." Iruka forced himself to smile.

"Have a good summer, Iruka-sensei," the boy muttered before walking out, closing the sliding door behind him.

Iruka stared at the closed door with a confused frown. Naruto- and Hinata to an extent- had been acting strangely in the last two days. He wondered as to the reason why.

Iruka shook his head to stop his mind from speculating further. Curious, he looked back at the pile of exams on his desk. He opened Naruto's. After hours of sitting in the classroom, he expected some sort of results.

However, instead of answers, the entire test was blank except for the name on the top corner. It was the same as their first exam on Wednesday.

Iruka sighed and shook his head. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with Naruto. He didn't have time to worry too much about him though. He had other students that needed him. Especially Sasuke.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Roshi looked around at the arguing shinobi with an impatient sigh. He shrugged before taking a sip of sake, feeling the burn as it went down his throat.

After their fight, the three jinchuuriki and the Kumogakure shinobi had reached an agreement of sorts. They had allowed Han, Roshi, and Yagura to set up camp in the outskirts of the village. Then, they had agreed to meet the morning after for a strategy meeting.

However, it didn't take long for Roshi to realize that making a plan that made everyone happy was impossible. C and Darui outright rejected any suggestions the three jinchuuriki made. Yugito, while less dismissive, had a critical eye and enjoyed tearing plans apart. Meanwhile, Yagura provided good ideas, but they were often punctuated by puns that made Roshi roll his eyes.

While at first Roshi had tried to be involved with the decision-making he had soon realized it was a lost cause. After an hour of trying to interject, he had given up and taken out a flask full of sake. Annoyed, he had leaned back on the trunk of a nearby tree, staring up at the canopy above him. He allowed the angry words from the other shinobi to wash over him.

'_It's starting to sound kind of heated,'_ he thought as he took another sip of sake.

'_**If you creatures let my magnificent self out, I would crush the snake sannin at my feet!'**_Son Goku interjected, sounding more annoyed than Roshi. _**' And with Kokuo, Matatabi, and Isobu, our victory is guaranteed! Why do you humans not simply destroy the one you call Orochimaru?'**_

Roshi shrugged. _'Who knows? I'm guessing some political bullshit reasons. I'll wait for one of them to win the argument. It's not like anyone here except for maybe Han will listen to me. Yagura and Yugito are better at making plans, anyway.'_

'_**How long have they been arguing?'**_

Roshi looked up at the sky. While their strategy meeting had started shortly after breakfast, the sun was already past its peak. _'Probably around five or six hours,' _Roshi guessed. He rummaged through his knapsack and pulled out an apple. _'I wish they'd hurry up and make a decision, though, I'm hungry.'_

'_**You humans and your biological needs. Revolting! I wish I didn't know so much about how your digestive system works.'**_

Roshi shrugged again, amused by Son Goku's words considering the situation. After talking for nearly a year, the monkey king's mockery was more entertaining than insulting.

Unwilling to add to the increasingly heated debate, Roshi closed his ears off to the other shinobi. In a meditative trance, he focused on the sounds of the forest and nature. Except for the shinobi shouting at each other and making puns, it was a peaceful afternoon.

'_**Roshi, I think they're talking about you.' **_

As soon as Roshi had begun to nod off, his bijuu snapped him back to reality. Jolted awake, he opened his eyes and turned to look at the five other shinobi surrounding him. For some reason, they had all stopped arguing and were staring speculatively at him instead.

"I guess it could work," Darui said, hands in his pockets, a bored expression on his face.

"He does look like the weakest one," C added, crossing his arms in front of his chest while staring at Roshi with a frown.

"Of course, Kaito has good plans when he puts his mind to it," Han said, sparing a glance at the disguised Yagura.

"It's sure to _viper _the smug look off of Orochimaru's face," Yagura noted with a smirk.

"Lava Release is good bait for someone looking for kekkei genkai," Yugito concluded. She stared Roshi up and down judgmentally.

Roshi gaped at the other shinobi looking down at him and frowned. "Wait, what?"

"Weren't you listening, Roshi?" Yagura asked, shaking his head. "We're going to use you as bait to make Orochimaru _slither _out of whatever _snake _hole he has nearby."

Roshi blinked. "Wait... what!?" he asked again, louder and angrier than before.

Yugito squatted down with a sigh as she met Roshi's eyes. "It's very simple," she said. "We're going to use you as bait to draw out Orochimaru. When he comes out and tries to attack or kidnap you, we'll come in and try to capture him."

"Wait, why am _I_ the designated bait?" he asked, sitting up and glaring at the people around him.

"Well, first of all, you look like a weak old man," Yagura began, counting down on his fingers.

"Look who's talking!" Roshi snorted. "You're the weakest one out of all of us! You got captured in less than one minute by Yugito-san! Why don't we send _you _as bait?"

"You could," Yagura admitted, a smirk on his face. "But there's one critical difference. Which brings me to my second point: _you _have a kekkei genkai. Since Orochimaru seems to prefer people with bloodline techniques, you're a much more _enticing _target than I am."

Roshi shuddered. "_Please_ don't say it like that."

Yagura rolled his eyes. "Thirdly, Orochimaru hasn't seen you before, as far as we know. Considering that an unknown entity ran away when Yugito-san and her team gave chase, it seems he's already wary of Kumogakure shinobi."

Roshi frowned. "Orochimaru is supposed to be a smart guy," he argued. "If I just go around trying to get kidnapped, he's not going to fall for it. He'll know it's a trap immediately."

"We will set you up as a traveling unaffiliated shinobi, Roshi," Han explained. "You'll pretend to be missing-nin from Iwagakure looking for random grunt work in this area. Yugito-san, Darui-san, and C-san will pretend they don't like your company and will chase you out."

"Won't have to pretend," C muttered under his breath. Yugito's eyes narrowed in exasperation but no one commented anything.

"And then you will start wandering around the area," Yagura continued, ignoring C. "We'll monitor the situation from afar. When you actually achieve contact with Orochimaru, lead him closer to where we make camp. Unfortunately, you will have to be alone for most of this operation."

Roshi grumbled to himself and he heard Son Goku make similar sounds in his mind. "So you're asking me to wander around alone for who knows how long hoping for a crazed snake person to come out and capture me?" he asked with an annoyed frown. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

"Well, you could always make yourself look more _appetizing_," Yagura smirked. "You can start sleeping with rats and mice to get the smell on you. You might try wearing some sexier clothes too."

"Should I also walk around shouting 'Oh, I sure hope no weird snake people come out and kidnap me!'" Roshi fumed, crossing his arms in front of his chest in anger.

Yagura shrugged, an entertained smirk on his face. "Well, it couldn't hurt."

Roshi's frown deepened. He turned his gaze between Yagura and Han but the two men were unphased by his glare.

"I think you're the best for this task, Roshi-san," Yugito said, speaking for the three Kumogakure shinobi. "Han-san and Kaito already explained you have a sealing system to communicate over long distances."

Roshi sighed. _I guess I missed when they made up a lie about how the Room works. Though a 'sealing system' isn't exactly a lie. _

He looked up at the Kumogakure shinobi next. Yugito met his eyes, her composure under control but for a tiny twitch of her right index finger. At Yugito's side, the two men looked at him with frowns on their faces. While the blond man, C, still glared at him skeptically, his friend, Darui, seemed curious to hear Roshi's decision.

Based on the reaction of the other shinobi, Roshi knew the decision was already made for him. He sighed.

"So you want me to wander around the area using Lava Release as much as possible?"

With that, Roshi saw the tension leave everyone's shoulders as they breathed out sighs of relief. _I guess my acceptance was the only lingering threat to their plan._

Yugito took a step forward and nodded. "Thank you," she said. "We thought about getting someone else to do the task, but we think you would be the best bait, Roshi-san. You have a kekkei genkai and your appearance might be deceiving and hide what you are truly capable of." She let out a small smile, looking down at him in admiration.

Roshi smiled back, glad that someone held him in high esteem for once.

'_**This little girl sure knows how to lead,'**_ Son Goku said, sounding reluctantly impressed.

Roshi shook his head to try to push away the bijuu's voice. He sighed, more exhausted and annoyed than before. "I should say thank you to you, Yugito-san," he said. "You have done a good job leading this team. I'll try to see what I can do to make Orochimaru come out of his hiding hole."

"Just be careful," Yagura said with a mischievous smile. "You don't want Orochimaru to throw a _hissy _fit!"

To Roshi's relief, he wasn't the only one to groan at that pun.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Chances are that updates will be slower because of... recent IRL events. It's very stressful, to say the least.**

**I use Lrrr from Futurama as inspiration for how to write Son Goku. "Why does Ross, the largest friend, not simply eat the other five!?"**

**If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites. Also, in these quarantine times, I started a Naruto/writing/shitposting Discord server cause there's not a lot to do hahaha. Add me on Discord (WaffleDogOfficial#0023) if you want :P**

**Next chapter: new apartment, new life.**


	32. Broken Promises

**In which Naruto buys tomatoes and international resolutions are made.**

**Note: I published extra Naruto and Sasuke scenes in the companion story "Two Doors to the Right." More details at the end.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

After turning in his empty exam booklet, Naruto had gone back to the hospital. Ever since then, he and Sasuke had not been apart from each other for long.

The day after the exam, on the first day of summer vacation, the Hokage had come to take Sasuke to his new apartment. There, Naruto had helped arrange everything: moving furniture and unpacking Sasuke's belongings. After that, Naruto had taken Sasuke to Ichiraku Ramen to eat, although neither had been especially cheerful.

While Sasuke was adjusting well to living alone, Naruto could tell he was trying to put on a brave face. Sometimes, the other boy would switch from being happy one moment to trying to run away the next. He would stare off into space, often for minutes at a time, without moving or saying anything. Other times, he would forget whatever Naruto had just told him or what he had just done.

A few times, he had caught Sasuke crying to himself. It was at those moments when Naruto couldn't pretend anymore and he cried alongside him. Every day was easier, but there was little Naruto could do to make it better except stay with him.

Sasuke had yet to complain about Naruto at his side. He guessed Sasuke welcomed having someone who could remember the Uchiha family. After all, it always made _him _happy to hear the other jinchuuriki talking about his mother.

Still, the loss of the Uchiha clan wasn't the same for Naruto. As much as he missed them, they weren't his parents and he had known them for barely a year. Yet, Naruto was grieving for them by Sasuke's side. The other boy seemed to appreciate the company at the very least. _He has barely called me a loser in the last week._

They had been so engrossed in their mutual grief that when Naruto woke up and saw the date, he struggled to remember why it was so important.

Sasuke was still sleeping, his back turned to him and the sun only beginning to rise. Naruto squinted at the small calendar sitting atop the bedside table. Based on the dates already crossed out, it was July 23rd. _Sasuke's birthday._

"Fuck," Naruto whispered, borrowing the word Yagura used that made Roshi angriest. He sat up, feeling his stomach turning over itself in panic. _It's Sasuke's birthday and neither of us noticed!_

He stared in alarm down at the sleeping boy next to him, gnawing on his thumbnail. While it was not the time to celebrate, Naruto knew that if he did nothing, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He gulped, his frantic mind trying to figure out what he had to do.

He still had some money left from the beginning of the month and the Hokage would drop off more when August began. He didn't have much to waste, but with it, he could buy Sasuke a cake and a present. _What do I get him, though?_

Staring at the slumbering Sasuke, he mulled over the question, biting his thumb. His first instinct was to buy weapons, but that would be expensive and Sasuke already had the best kunai and shuriken in the class. A book might have worked, but it was boring and Naruto wasn't sure what Sasuke would like anyway. Clothes would give him the same result. He thought of candy or snacks, but other than tomatoes, Sasuke didn't have strong preferences and he hated sweet things.

He started to pull at his hair, annoyed with himself. _How did I forget Sasuke's birthday!? I can't just let it pass! On my birthday, he was actually nice to me!_

With a sigh, he pulled his knees up to his chest as he thought of options for how to celebrate. He looked around the bedroom, searching for inspiration. Within two days, they had unpacked everything, finding places for all of Sasuke's belongings. Still, the room was too big and too empty and the walls were barren except for a couple of posters.

_Not like my room. I put the pictures Auntie gave me up on the..._

An idea struck and Naruto smirked to himself. He suppressed giggles, not wanting to wake up Sasuke by accident. He left the bed, doing his daily routine and getting breakfast started as he waited for the other boy to wake up.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke either didn't see the date or he had the best poker face in the world. In any case, when Naruto told him that he needed to return to his apartment to do chores, Sasuke had only nodded. Relieved, Naruto left Sasuke alone at the apartment, separating for the first time since the last day of school.

He ran to his apartment first- he _did _have chores and Gaara would never forgive him if he let the plants die. Immediately after that, however, he sprinted to the Uchiha district, his feet pounding the familiar path there.

Some minutes later, Naruto stood in front of the gate, panting in exhaustion and nursing a stitch on his side. He looked around first, trying to see if there was anyone nearby to stop him. To his relief, he only saw the yellow police tape blocking the way in. He gulped before taking small steps closer.

_Even Sasuke isn't supposed to be here._ He forced himself to take a deep breath in and out as he hesitated in front of the yellow tape, a frown on his face. They might have promised the Hokage to stay away, but Sasuke's birthday was more important.

With no more hesitation, Naruto slipped underneath the barrier and looked around, already overwhelmed.

There were no people around. The shops were closed. His nose caught a hint of iron in the air and he forced down the bile that was building in his throat. It was deathly quiet; even the wind sounded muted and the sky looked grayer. He swallowed again and began to walk.

With no people, the sound of his footsteps was magnified until it echoed in the empty streets. The smell of blood only intensified as he walked further in. On closer inspection, he started to see signs of fighting: overturned furniture, ripped flags, burned walls, and-

_Is that... blood?_

Naruto looked away. Fists clenched, he walked faster, keeping his eyes trained purposefully on the ground. A few minutes later, he arrived at Sasuke's house, his heart beating faster than it ever had before. With the main door in front of him, he took a shaky breath out in relief. _Finally._

"I'm here!" he called out automatically as he opened the unlocked door. For a second, he almost expected Sasuke's mother or father to reply but the house was silent, as if it too was mourning. He swallowed again, looking around at the empty hallway.

He breathed in and held his breath as he took off his shoes at the entrance, afraid to take another step inside. Regret threatened to overpower him. Standing in the empty house where Sasuke's parents had been murdered... _I should have come here with Sasuke_.

But Naruto had no more options. He was already there. Still holding his breath, he took a step down the hall, making the wood flooring creak at the shift in weight. In the empty house, the sound was deafening. He froze, the beating of his heart drowning out all other thoughts in his head. _This was a mistake! I should..._

However, before Naruto could turn around, a glint of reflected glass on a picture frame gave him pause. He had caught glimpses of it before but he had never gotten a good look at the picture contained within.

In the photograph, Sasuke and his mother were smiling at the camera, her hands on Sasuke's shoulders. His father had his arms crossed in front of his chest, a frown on his face. Yet, the man stood close to his wife and son, as protective as Naruto remembered him. On the corner, Itachi stood apart, a somber look on his face, distant.

_Itachi never wanted to be close to them, did he?_

Naruto exhaled, forcing down his fear and trepidation. He had a mission to complete for Sasuke's sake if nothing else. With a gulp, he continued down the hall and toward the living area.

Except for the eerie silence and the thin layer of dust that had accumulated, the room looked the same as usual. He almost expected Sasuke or his parents to come inside and talk to him.

_Or even..._ The thought of Sasuke's older brother made his stomach turn over itself in disgust. He clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. Naruto had already made his promise to Sasuke and he was never going back on that.

Before getting angrier, Naruto walked toward a small bookcase. After developing the pictures of Naruto's birthday, Sasuke's mother had shown him where she kept all of her family photo albums. Since then, they had sometimes looked through the pictures together, cooing over how cute Sasuke looked as a baby, much to the other boy's annoyance.

Naruto grimaced to himself before taking a random album from the shelf and opening it. He was greeted with a picture of Sasuke's parents on their wedding day.

Despite everything that had happened, Naruto smiled. While the two were standing apart, as was appropriate for being out in public, they both looked happy to be together. It was a perfect picture to return to Sasuke. Naruto peeled back the protective plastic film and took out the photograph. He put it to the side as he flipped to the next page.

A picture of a young and serious Itachi greeted him. Furious, Naruto took the photo out. He began to rip it in half before reconsidering. With Sasuke as the last Uchiha, he was the only one that could make a decision about the fate of Itachi's image.

Naruto groaned, bit his tongue, and placed the picture of Itachi back where he had found it. Sasuke could decide what to do with it later. He continued flipping through.

It took him a long time to go through the entire collection. Every time he saw a picture of Itachi, his heart contracted in pain and fury. However, he couldn't do anything without Sasuke's permission so he ignored the older boy's face as best as he could. As he went, he took out any and all pictures of Sasuke's family, checking and double-checking that Itachi was not in any of them.

As he searched, Naruto marveled at how well Sasuke's mother had organized everything. Every single photograph had the names of the subjects written on the back in her neat handwriting. Many also contained a date or extra information. It made it easier to filter out pictures with Itachi on them.

When he finished going through the first album, he worked on the next one and then the next one. While the first one had mostly contained pictures of Sasuke and Itachi, the others told different stories.

He smiled when he saw a picture of a tiny boy pouting at the camera, labeled with the name of Sasuke's father. In another, Sasuke's mother was standing rigidly in front of people labeled as her parents. He saw other people that he assumed were Sasuke's grandparents and the rest of his extended family.

An image of a stupid-looking boy standing with two teammates and a blond teacher gave him pause. The man looked familiar in a way he couldn't put his finger on. He turned the picture over, expecting to find their names. Instead, it was labeled as 'Obito-kun and his team.' The label explained nothing else.

Naruto put the picture in the pile as a gift to Sasuke with a shrug. _Maybe Sasuke knows who they are._

With that, he continued taking the rest of the pictures out, adding them one by one to his increasingly larger collection. He wished Sasuke or his parents were around to explain some of them. There were so many people he wondered if it was possible to memorize all of them.

Naruto opened the last album, glad that his task was almost done. He wasn't sure how many more times he could see images of the Uchiha family without simultaneously wanting to cry and laugh.

The last album seemed to chronicle Sasuke's mother and her time as a shinobi. Naruto saw pictures of her team- the labels on pictures of two boys and an older man made their relationship clear. He wondered what had happened to them. She had never talked about her teammates to him before. _I guess her team died, too._

Frowning, Naruto took out all the pictures with Sasuke's mother, leaving the ones with only her teammates. Sasuke could decide what to do with them later on. He didn't stop until he caught a picture of Sasuke's mother sitting next to a girl with long hair. Long, straight, _red _hair.

The girl's face was bright, round, and tanned, a grin threatening to split her face in half. She looked only a year or two older than Fuu while Sasuke's mother looked even older, almost an adult. They were leaning against a training post, their arms wrapped around each other in a hug. Both of the girls were smiling at whoever was taking the picture, looking young and carefree.

His hands began to shake and he frantically peeled back the plastic cover and took out the picture. Everything about the red-headed girl matched what the jinchuuriki had told him. Everything. Long red hair and a round face. Beautiful and cheerful. Always smiling. He held his breath in disbelief as he flipped the picture over, looking for the expected label. He froze when he read the name. _Mikoto and Kushina._

Naruto's vision clouded over as tears began to build in his eyes. _This is... my mom? Did Auntie know my mom!?_

Naruto rubbed his forearm over his eyes to clear away the tears. He pulled the picture closer to his face, wanting to memorize every detail. The girl- his mother?- looked even more beautiful than he had imagined. Her face was bright and happy and she stared up at the older girl with adoration and love. She was tall for her age and gangly, with hints of the great beauty Fuu and Roshi always described her as. _So this is what she looked like?_

He stared at the photo, mesmerized, until his stomach rumbled in hunger. With a startle, he looked outside. Based on the position of the sun, he could tell he had spent longer than expected at Sasuke's home.

Panicked, Naruto ran to the kitchen and took a large, empty bento box, storing the pictures of the Uchiha family inside. He paused as he looked at the last picture. He knew he should add it to the rest with Sasuke's family but he couldn't. Biting his lip, he closed the lid on the box that would be Sasuke's present. He placed the last picture with his mother tenderly inside his own pocket.

He shoved the last album back on the shelf and ran outside. As he sprinted back to Sasuke's apartment, he wondered if he would ever know why Sasuke's mother had never talked about his mother.

**O-O-O-O-O**

_What's taking Naruto so long?_

Sasuke stared out the balcony from his bed, a frown on his face. When Naruto had told him he needed to do some chores back at his apartment, Sasuke had shrugged and told him to leave. He had not expected Naruto to take so long. Sasuke would never admit it out loud, but he was starting to get lonely in his empty apartment.

It was also a few hours past noon and he was starving. He would have already eaten, but Naruto had promised to be back by lunch. _Just get back already, Naruto!_

Sasuke was beginning to lose against the temptation to raid the fridge when he heard loud pounding on the door that could only belong to Naruto.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's familiar voice shouted from outside. "Open the door! I'm back! Oh... sorry!"

Sasuke sighed. He guessed he was apologizing to someone outside for shouting. He left his bed and opened the door. Naruto stood there, face red as he panted in exhaustion. He held a large bento box in one hand and a bag full of groceries in the other.

"Sorry it took so long!" Naruto apologized while scratching the back of his neck as he stepped inside and kicked off his shoes. "It took way longer than I thought it would, ya know."

"It's fine," Sasuke grumbled, forcing his face to remain neutral. "Though I wasn't sure how much longer you were going to take. I was starting to get hungry."

"Yeah, I bet!" Naruto grinned as they walked to the kitchen together, placing his things on the table. They began to put away everything Naruto had brought into the fridge and cupboards.

"So what took you so long anyway, loser?" Sasuke asked as he placed a bag of tomatoes inside the fridge.

For some reason, Naruto's face reddened and he looked away from Sasuke. He fidgeted and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Oh... um... hey, Sasuke, go sit over there!" Naruto pointed to an empty chair at the dining table.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Just do it, jerk!

Sasuke sighed as he complied with Naruto's request. It was easier than trying to get a reason out of him.

"Now, close your eyes!"

Sasuke frowned. "But, why?"

"Stop asking questions and just do it!"

Sasuke sighed and covered his eyes with the palms of his hands. The faster he listened to Naruto, the faster they could go and get lunch. He heard Naruto moving things around, including the mysterious box he had arrived with. He also heard the sound of the fridge opening and closing as Naruto took something out.

"Okay, open your eyes!"

Sasuke pulled his hands away from his face. In front of him was a tomato with a lit candle stuck on top of it. Next to it was the bento box from earlier. He stared at the display in front of him in confusion before looking up to meet Naruto's eyes.

"What's this?"

Naruto groaned in exasperation as he sat down on the chair in front of Sasuke. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back on the chair as he glared. "It's your birthday, jerk! I thought we should celebrate even with-" He gulped and looked away, his obvious statement unfinished.

Sasuke's eyes widened, taken aback. _Birthday? It's my birthday? _He looked at the tomato in front of him and the box once more. It was an obvious gift prepared at the last minute. Still, it was more than he had expected to get.

"I wanted to buy a cake, but since you don't really like sweets, I didn't wanna waste my money, ya know," Naruto began to ramble. "I got you tomatoes since you like 'em. I would have made onigiri but I didn't have time for that. It already took a long time to prepare your gift. You can open it whenever you want! You should blow out the candle before the wax gets on the tomato, though."

Sasuke blinked, overwhelmed with the effort Naruto had gone through considering everything. He looked between Naruto and the gifts in front of him, unsure of what to say. With his words failing him, he blew out the candle for something to do.

Naruto giggled. "So what did you wish for, anyway?"

_Wish?_ Sasuke's face felt hotter as he realized he had forgotten to make a wish. "It's none of your business," he grumbled as he took the candle out of the tomato. He would go to his grave before telling Naruto the truth.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Naruto rolled his eyes again as he pushed the box under Sasuke's nose. In an instant, his expression grew somber and he refused to meet Sasuke's eyes. "I didn't buy you anything," he admitted. "But... I thought you would like this. I didn't buy frames but we can do that after we get lunch."

_Frames? _Curious, Sasuke frowned at Naruto before taking the lid off of the box. He froze when he was greeted by a picture of his mother holding a younger version of himself in her arms, his father kneeling next to them.

"I-is this-?"

Naruto nodded, face still somber. "Yeah. I... didn't know what else to get. I have a lot of pictures hanging in the walls of my apartment already, ya know. I thought you could do the same thing."

Sasuke nodded, lost for words. Hands shaking, he began to rifle through the collection held inside. He saw his parents at all stages of life, sometimes with Sasuke, sometimes together, sometimes alone. There were pictures of his more remote family members as well, some of whom he had never met. _No Itachi, though._

"Th-thank you, Naruto." Sasuke felt tears beginning to build in his eyes but he pushed them back. He had cried more than enough in Naruto's presence already and the other boy cried in sympathy every time.

"You're welcome," Naruto mumbled, a sad smile on his face. "It took longer than I thought to get them. And I was worried the Hokage would come in and kick me out any second, ya know. Since we promised we wouldn't go there until-"

Sasuke grunted, cutting Naruto off. He began to flip through the rest of the pictures, trying to memorize every single one of them. Naruto said nothing else as he did so, watching as Sasuke processed the gift he had never thought he wanted. There were more photos than he had believed possible, but his mother had labeled each of them with a name and sometimes with a short description.

He smiled to himself as he sorted through them. _Mom is so organized._

"Hey, Sasuke, do you want to go get lunch now?" Naruto interrupted.

Sasuke nodded, unable to say anything else. "Sure," he mumbled, his throat feeling strangely choked. "Where do you want to go?"

"Ichiraku Ramen?" Naruto suggested in a hopeful tone.

Sasuke nodded in agreement as he put the lid back on the box and stood up. He did not have a lot of preferences in regard to food, but even he had to admit that the ramen there was delicious.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Harusame-sensei, do you know what this meeting is about?" Utakata asked as they walked inside the rarely-used village conference room.

Harusame turned to him with a secretive smile. "Don't worry, Utakata-kun. You'll know soon enough."

With an annoyed sigh, Utakata followed behind his master. He sat down near the back next to Harusame with a bored yawn, turning to him with a raised eyebrow. His master had been going on top-secret missions for the past year and already knew what the Mizukage would announce. However, he had refused to tell Utakata anything. While he doubted it would affect his life much, Utakata was still curious. _We don't get called over to these kinds of meetings often._

While they waited for everyone else to enter, Utakata looked around. The room they were in was large enough to accommodate not only the jounin of Kirigakure but also most of the chuunin. It had sat unused ever since Mei Terumi had taken charge, unneeded at the end of the civil war. Any meeting that called upon the presence of so many high-ranking shinobi could only be for a major announcement. If it weren't for Harusame's cheer, Utakata might have thought Kirigakure was headed into yet another war.

On the front stage, Mei Terumi stood in front of a podium, a kind yet proud gleam in her eye as she waited for the rest of the shinobi to trickle in. A short distance away, the Mizukage's usual guards, Ao, Ameyuri, and Zabuza, watched her every move. In every corner was a masked ANBU agent, including- his stomach turned over itself- Yagura's wife.

While the Mizukage stood at the front, the rest of the shinobi were spread throughout the room. Most had found a seat while a few others leaned against the walls stubbornly instead. Utakata rolled his eyes at the display. _Like sitting down is going to make you look weak._

"Thank you very much for coming," Mei Terumi began after all the Kirigakure shinobi had settled in. Immediately, everyone turned their attention to the front.

Utakata scanned the faces of the shinobi in the crowd. While most looked simply curious, a few, mostly old veterans, sneered when she spoke.

"As you can imagine, I have a very important announcement to make," she continued, ignoring the few frowns in the room. "I don't suppose many of you know why I have gathered you all here today?"

Next to him, Harusame's calm facade transformed into a smug smirk. At a few points around the rest of the room, he saw others that also seemed to be in on the Mizukage's secret. Utakata sighed. _Just get on with it. I promised Kimimaro I would train with him after the meeting and I don't want to disappoint him._

"Now, I don't want to keep you here for long so I will make my announcement in one sentence." She paused for dramatic effect, sweeping her gaze across the room. "As of today, Kirigakure and Konohagakure are officially diplomatic and military allies!"

Chaos erupted at that announcement as a cacophony of voices shouted over each other. While most sounded positive or cautiously optimistic, the loudest people were full of resentment and fury instead.

Utakata shifted in his seat, nervous despite himself. He was not foolish enough to believe that everyone was happy with Mei Terumi's leadership. It wasn't too long ago that the graduation exams had been abolished and even less since the civil war ended. The Mizukage retained her position not because of overwhelming popular support but through her power and skill. While the younger generation liked her, there was a sizable and vocal minority that questioned her every move.

"How the fuck is that supposed to work!?" an older-looking shinobi clearly from the Hoshigaki clan shouted above the rest. He lunged forward, tall and menacing, a hand inching closer to the weapons pouch on his thigh.

Unruffled, Mei turned to the man, a smirk on her lips. "Oh, what do you mean, Yosuke-kun?"

"How the fuck are we supposed to work with _that _village!?" the man, Yosuke, continued, baring his pointed teeth. "We can't trust anyone there! How many of us did the bastards kill?"

"An alliance with Konohagakure will make us weak and complacent!" a different man added, joining Yosuke's side.

Utakata was unsurprised to hear murmurs of agreement spread throughout the room. He sighed as he settled into his seat and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The meeting was going to take longer than he had anticipated.

The Mizukage looked down at the men with an expression full of scorn on her face. "Are you saying Kirigakure is so weak we would be unable to defend ourselves if necessary? Because that's what it sounds like to me, Katsuo-kun, Yosuke-kun."

At that, the first man's face turned a shade of pink, combining strikingly against his bluish skin. "It will leave us vulnerable!" he argued. "That's how peace treaties always work. They force us to make concessions and then they attack!"

Before the Mizukage had a chance to reply, Ameyuri shoved her out of the way to stand at the podium. Mei Terumi moved with only a small sigh and a fond smile.

"Do you think Mei-chan is stupid enough to give us shitty terms?" the redhead shouted, standing on her tiptoes to glare at the gathered shinobi over the podium. "Why do you think we haven't gotten one before? You think we were sitting on our asses!? We struggled to get a fucking good set of terms and a fucker like you is not gonna ruin that!"

"Shut the fuck up and listen to what your leader has to say," Zabuza added. He joined the Mizukage's other side, sandwiching Mei Terumi in the middle. Unlike with Ameyuri, the swordsman cast an imposing figure- tall with murder in his eye. The man was the reason why the graduation tradition had ended and no one was ever going to forget that.

Now annoyed, the Mizukage glared in exasperation at the two swordsmen at her sides.

"The terms we have been given are more than adequate." Ao joined the group next, somehow managing to shove the three other shinobi out of the way.

At Ao's endorsement, the muttering subsided as everyone settled down once more. Utakata could understand why. Ao was a direct link to Kirigakure's past and the most traditional of Mei Terumi's inner circle. While the Fifth Mizukage was unpopular with the older generation, Ao enjoyed high approval ratings with most of the village.

At the last interruption, Mei pushed the three of them away, leaving her alone at the podium once more. She glared over her shoulder at her retainers. Contrite, they took polite steps back as she brushed the bangs out of her face. Content that no one else would interrupt, Mei Terumi turned her attention back to her captive audience. Utakata sighed again. _Are they children or the most powerful shinobi of our country?_

"An alliance would expand our client base and also provide backup for if a foreign attack _did _come to pass," she continued, unruffled. "Or are you saying you doubt our strength to repel the Land of Fire if the need arises?"

At the comment, some of the shinobi shifted in their places but said nothing else. Utakata raised an eyebrow, impressed. Questioning a Kirigakure shinobi's ability was the most surefire way to get under their skin.

The Mizukage cleared her throat. "Well, if all of these initial objections are done, why don't I explain the exact terms and conditions of our agreement." Murmurings of assent spread throughout the room, although there was some residual resentment. "First, I would like to talk about our alliance terms in regards to military strength. Konoha has promised-"

Before Mei Terumi could explain more, the same Hoshigaki man from earlier interrupted with a furious shout. A chorus of dissent followed his outburst and the room broke into chaos once more. Despite the discord, Mei Terumi remained unphased, too resilient to break her composure. She began to explain the specific points of the alliance unflinchingly.

Utakata groaned as he settled in for a very long morning. He sent out a mental apology to Kimimaro, hoping he wouldn't be upset about missing out on training for the day.

**O-O-O-O-O**

When the meeting finally ended, it had grown dark outside. By the end, there had been countless interruptions, a few hundred death threats, eight fistfights, and at least two attempted murders. However, no one had died, possibly making it the most peaceful gathering in Kirigakure history. Everyone began to trickle out of the room, as satisfied as they could ever be.

Utakata stood up, stretching his arms above his head to relieve some of the tension after a full day of sitting. He had sat through the meeting in mute exasperation, watching Mei Terumi at her best. Throughout the assembly, she had shut down all insurrection, remaining perfectly calm and composed all the while.

He was turning to leave when Harusame pulled him back by the sleeve. "Wait, Utakata-kun. The Mizukage wishes to speak to you."

Utakata groaned but followed his master's instructions. He felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of Kimimaro waiting for them alone at Harusame's compound. _I'll swing by the store and buy him some yogurt as an apology_, he promised himself.

Tapping his foot, Utakata waited as the rest of the shinobi left, Harusame at his side. Most, like him, seemed cautiously optimistic about the change of events. Meanwhile, the true fanatics were as angry and frustrated as they had been at the beginning of the day. However, Utakata doubted anything Mei Terumi said would ever change their minds.

With an empty stomach and a sore body from sitting all day, Utakata approached the Mizukage. Despite the hours spent speaking and explaining herself, her composure was intact. She stood tall and proud, talking to Zabuza, not a hair out of place.

Utakata walked toward her, bowing his head down when her gaze turned to him. "Harusame-sensei told me you wished to speak with me, Mizukage-sama." _Please make it quick. I'm starving._

"Ah, yes, Utakata-kun. Just the person I wanted to see." Utakata lifted his head up to find her smiling up at him. "This won't take long, come and sit with me. I've been standing all day."

"Of course, Mizukage-sama." Together they sat at the edge of the stage.

"It's about our agreement in regards to the chuunin exams," she began. "Do you remember what I said about them?"

Utakata wondered if 'I didn't pay attention' would be good to say to someone who had spent hours speaking. "I'm not sure which specific point you mean, Mizukage-sama," he decided to answer instead.

She sighed and stretched her legs out in front of her. "We will be sending one of our genin teams as a show of good faith to Konoha to participate in the next chuunin exams. We hope to use that as a proxy for war."

"I see." Utakata nodded. Sending a genin team to Konohagakure would show Kirigakure could open its borders and trust its allies.

"Of course, then the question becomes which team or teams we should send," the Mizukage continued.

Utakata forced his face to remain impassive although her insinuations were obvious. "Why would our team be chosen over others?" he asked before she could nominate him. "Wouldn't an older and more experienced team be more likely to showcase Kirigakure's strengths?"

"I believe your team is more than experienced enough," she countered. "You have completed a lot of C-ranked missions and I only hear good things from Zabuza-kun and Anzu-san. A lot of satisfied customers, too. I have agreed to an alliance with Konoha, but there is still a need to scare them. What do you think potential clients would say if they saw a group of children doing better than their peers?"

"That could boost the number of missions we get," Utakata admitted. "It could intimidate the other nations if they were to see young children at the finals."

"We also need to show the world that Kirigakure is stronger than it ever has been," she continued. "The days of the Bloody Mist are over."

"I understand." Utakata nodded his agreement. The days of the past could never be forgotten but a better future could be made.

"I only have one question before I make my final decision to send Team Utakata to Konoha," the Mizukage said.

"What is it, Mizukage-sama?"

"Do you think they will be able to advance to the final stage?" She turned her face to him, a demanding glint in her eye.

Utakata shrugged. "I think so. But of course, nothing is-"

"Let me rephrase the question," the Mizukage interrupted, her face becoming stern. "Do you believe in your students enough that you think they will advance to the final stage and _win_?"

Utakata blinked, momentarily taken aback. The Mizukage's gaze was severe and expectant as she waited for Utakata's guarantee of his students' success. He thought back on their progress and their ability to cooperate as one unit. They had near-perfect teamwork, covering each other's weak points and accentuating their strengths. Despite still being very young, there was only one answer Utakata could give.

"I know they're ready," he said, meeting the Mizukage's eyes directly.

The Mizukage let out a relieved sigh and she nodded. "Well, the current exam already started in early July, so it's now too late to join." She smiled at him again. "Though of course, I imagine you would want some time to train and prepare anyway."

"I do," Utakata admitted.

"The Third Hokage has told me the next set of exams will take place in early January," she continued. "I will not send an official declaration until mid-December. You have until then to make any preparations and to change your mind if necessary."

"I believe they're more than ready, but it's best to be over-prepared," Utakata answered. "I need to tell them about the opportunity as well. I doubt any of them will say no, but I need to make sure they all want to participate first."

"Of course!" The Mizukage grinned at him. "I do have some teams that could go in their place if necessary."

Utakata bowed his head down. "Thank you, Mizukage-sama. If by any chance I find our team is not ready to represent Kirigakure, I will tell you in advance." _That's not going to happen, though._

"Thank you very much, Utakata-kun." Her grin widened and she nodded politely in his direction. "Now, I think I've kept you long enough. You are dismissed."

Utakata bowed his head down one last time and headed to where Harusame was waiting at the door. Together, they left for home, but not before stopping by the store first to get snacks for Kimimaro.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Good evening, Kimimaro-kun," Harusame said as he stepped inside, setting the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.

"Good evening, Harusame-sensei," the boy answered, nodding his head politely as he helped the older man with the groceries. He turned toward Utakata next, a disappointed frown on his face as his tone grew cold. "Utakata-sensei."

"Good evening, Kimimaro," Utakata greeted with a smile. "I'm sorry we made you wait so long. And that I missed our training session."

"It's fine," Kimimaro muttered as he placed some vegetables inside the fridge. Despite his words, his frown betrayed his frustration and annoyance with Utakata. He closed the refrigerator door with more force than necessary.

Utakata winced as he stepped closer to the boy, holding out a bag for him. "It really couldn't be helped, Kimimaro," he began. "I brought you some yogurt. I hope I can make it up to you later."

Kimimaro's shoulders relaxed marginally but the frown on his face remained. "Why did the meeting take so long, sensei?"

Utakata hummed to himself. "I wish I could tell you now, Kimimaro. You'll have to wait until we have a team meeting to find out." He gave Kimimaro what he hoped was an apologetic look.

Kimimaro's frown deepened. "But why? Why can't you tell me now, sensei?"

"I just can't," Utakata replied with a tired sigh. "I will explain everything when Kasumi and Haku are here. It concerns them, too. It wouldn't be fair to them if I told only you first."

At that, Kimimaro's face transformed into what could best be described as a pout. It was strange to see on his normally stoic face. "I understand, sensei," he said in a tone that revealed to Utakata that he didn't understand at all.

Utakata placed one hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Kimimaro. I promise I'll tell you everything soon. Can you forgive me?"

At that, Kimimaro nodded, but the pout remained. Utakata suppressed a chuckle. It was the first time he had seen Kimimaro upset with him before and it was strangely cute.

"We'll have a team meeting tomorrow morning and I'll explain everything then, all right?" Utakata reiterated, one hand still on Kimimaro's shoulder. He handed over the bag with the boy's favorite food.

Kimimaro nodded again, still looking upset, as he accepted the apology gift. That time, Utakata couldn't hold back a snort of amusement at the look on his face. _A year later and he's finally no longer afraid to show me how he really feels._

"Well, if you two boys are done, I'd like some help with dinner," Harusame interrupted as he washed vegetables in the sink.

"Of course, sensei," Utakata replied as he began to take out mixing bowls from the cupboard. "What are we making?"

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. 2020 is a difficult year for everyone, I think.**

**IMPORTANT-ISH: I published another chapter for "Two Doors to the Right"! Summary: In which Naruto and Sasuke get used to their new lives. It takes place time-line wise exactly in the middle between this chapter and the last one.**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. I'm also on Discord if you wanna add me.**

**Next chapter: flowers for everyone.**


	33. The Language of Flowers

**In which Kimimaro pouts, Naruto and Sasuke pray, and Gaara makes a discovery.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Despite accepting his apology, Kimimaro gave Utakata the cold shoulder for the rest of the night and the morning after.

Utakata couldn't blame him. After a long mission, he had arranged a short vacation for his team to rest and train on their own. The day after, Kimimaro had asked for personal training during breakfast. Utakata had agreed, promising to spend the entire day with him. However, the request from the Mizukage for a meeting had brought those plans crashing to a halt. While the boy had seemed to accept Utakata's apology at first, his actions told a different story.

At dinner, Kimimaro had eaten in silence, exchanging words only with Harusame. He had later refused to have a cup of tea with Utakata before bed as had become a tradition. The morning after, he had only muttered his greetings before going to the garden to brood.

Utakata might have been actually upset by his behavior if he didn't find it strangely endearing. _He's sulking._

"Kimimaro, we're going to have a team meeting in a bit," Utakata announced as he approached the boy in the garden. "Haku and Kasumi are already on their way."

Kimimaro glanced at him, a watering can in hand, before going back to his task. "I see," he muttered, turning his back to Utakata.

He walked to the boy's side. "I'll explain everything the Mizukage told me yesterday to you three," he said. "It's all pretty important and I need us all to be on the same page."

Kimimaro nodded. He said nothing as he watered the irises and continued to avoid Utakata's attention.

"Haku and Kasumi will be here at any moment," he continued. "I sent shadow clones to get them."

Kimimaro nodded again, still watering the same patch of plants and still avoiding Utakata's gaze. With a sigh, Utakata grabbed onto the boy's wrist gently, stopping the constant stream of water. "You're going to drown the irises," he warned.

Kimimaro startled at the sudden touch before shrugging off Utakata's grip. "Thank you, sensei," he mumbled, staring at the ground.

Utakata sighed before crouching down to meet Kimimaro face to face. Despite the proximity, the boy tried to ignore him, turning his face away.

"I think the meeting today will be pretty short," Utakata began. "I only want to talk to you three about something important before we go our separate ways." Kimimaro still refused to react as he cradled the watering can in his hands. "So how about when the meeting is finished, we practice some of that new taijutsu you've been developing? Just the two of us."

At that, Kimimaro finally reacted. His eyes widened and he turned to Utakata. "Wait. Really, sensei?"

"Really, really. Only a true emergency would stop me this time," Utakata promised. "And if we have extra time, I can teach you some ninjutsu as well."

At that, Kimimaro smiled at Utakata for the first time in the day. "I'd like that," he admitted, his face glowing in happiness.

"I thought you would." Utakata placed a hand on Kimimaro's shoulder, making the boy's smile widen.

"Utakata-kun, Kimimaro-kun," Harusame called from inside the main house. "Your teammates are here."

"We're here, sensei!" Kasumi's voice shouted from somewhere inside. "What's so impor- Oh, uh... sorry for yelling, Harusame-sensei," she apologized in a slightly softer tone.

Utakata sighed. "Let's meet at the training grounds!" he shouted back.

"Sure thing, sensei!" Despite her earlier apology, Kasumi's voice remained as loud as before.

Utakata shook his head before turning his attention back to Kimimaro, who had placed the watering can on the ground. "Let's go. We have a few things to talk about."

Kimimaro hummed in assent but said nothing else. Together, they headed to their usual meeting area. Haku and Kasumi had already arrived; they sat on the ground, deep in conversation. Kimimaro left Utakata's shadow to join them in the middle. Expectant, the students quieted and turned their eyes toward Utakata as he sat in front of them.

"So you're probably wondering why I called you three today when we're still on vacation," he began.

Kasumi nodded. "My mom said something big happened but she didn't wanna tell me no matter how many times I begged," she whined. "My brother also knows and he _also _didn't wanna tell me!"

"Zabuza-sama was gone all day yesterday," Haku added.

Kimimaro said nothing, his green eyes focused on Utakata expectantly.

Utakata cleared his throat. "Well, the long and short of it is that Konohagakure and Kirigakure are now allies," he announced. "The Mizukage signed a peace treaty not too long ago."

Their immediate reactions were not what he had expected. Unlike the older Kirigakure shinobi, who had been full of anger and resentment, his students looked almost bored. Blankly, they stared at him, not recognizing the importance of his announcement.

"Is... is that it, sensei?" Kasumi asked, raising a confused eyebrow. "Is that the only reason why everyone is so secretive lately?"

At her side, the two boys said nothing but nodded in agreement, confused frowns on their faces.

Utakata groaned. _How quick we forget the past_. "How old were you when the Third Shinobi war ended, Kasumi?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Kasumi got a thoughtful look on her face as she calculated her age. "I was two, three years old at the most," she said. "I don't remember exactly."

"You three have grown up in an era of relative peace," Utakata said, fearing he was already veering into a lecture. "But before that, we were at near-constant war, not just internally but with other countries. Out of all people, I would have expected you to be the most aware of the price of war, Kasumi," he scolded. "Considering who your father is."

Kasumi looked away, chewing on her lip, chastened. She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Sorry, sensei."

Utakata sighed. "And the same goes for you two, as well," he continued. "You are young enough to not remember when we were at conflict with Konoha, but that doesn't excuse you from forgetting the past. If things had gone any differently, we might not be talking right now. We might not have even met each other."

At that, Kimimaro grimaced as Haku got a faraway look in his eyes. Next to them, Kasumi tightened her grip on her legs, chastened. Utakata shook his head. As a child, he had lived in constant fear of Harusame leaving and never coming back. He prayed that the three children in front of him would never live through the same experience.

"Most of our ninja, especially in the upper ranks, are veterans of the Third Shinobi War," he continued as he uncrossed his arms. "Many of us hold grudges that will never fade. An alliance with Konoha, not just a ceasefire, is unprecedented in the history of our village."

"I- I think I understand now, sensei," Haku muttered as he stared down at his knees. Kasumi and Kimimaro nodded at his side, finally understanding the gravity of the situation.

Utakata hummed, satisfied. "There is one thing that is particularly relevant for the three of you, however."

At that, the three children looked up, meeting his eyes.

"For the first time in history, Kirigakure and Konohagakure will have joint chuunin exams," he said. "I have already declared my intent for our team to participate."

"Wait, what? Chuunin exams!?" Kasumi's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she leaned forward to gape at Utakata.

Ever collected, Haku only blinked, a small frown the only sign of emotion. Like Kasumi, he seemed to understand the severity of the last announcement.

"Chuunin exams?" Unlike his two teammates, Kimimaro tilted his head to the side, a confused frown on his face.

"Yes, the chuunin exams." Utakata nodded. "It will be an opportunity to showcase your skills and possibly be promoted to chuunin. Konoha has invited Kiri to participate in the next one, which will start in January. We won't officially declare our intent until December, however. I believe that you three are ready to take part, but I won't force you to sign up."

"What are the chuunin exams like, sensei?" Haku asked.

"I'm not exactly sure what the components are since they vary by village," Utakata admitted. "But I think you three are ready for anything. I believe you have the potential not just to survive, but to reach the end. The last stage of the exams always consists of spars meant to show off each village's strengths to the public. The Mizukage hopes to use that opportunity to demonstrate our military strength and obtain new clients."

"I see." Haku nodded, understanding the situation immediately. "So you expect the three of us to become chuunin then, sensei?"

"I think all three of you are ready, yes," Utakata answered. "Now, tell me, what is the most important thing for shinobi to do during missions?"

"Accompany each other to the toilet because that's when we're most vulnerable?" Kasumi guessed. Haku and Kimimaro nodded their agreement.

Utakata groaned and shook his head._ Is that the lesson they remember best?_ "Well, yes, that's important," he admitted. "But that's just _one _specific part of a more general concept. And I think the three of you already understand the concept perfectly."

"A concept we already understand?" Haku asked, tilting his head to the side.

"What is it, sensei?" Kasumi leaned forward in excitement.

"Teamwork!" Utakata crossed his arms in front of his chest again as the children's eyes widened in understanding. "As a shinobi, you won't always have missions in teams. But when you do, being able to coordinate with your friends and allies is a key skill. I have seen how you three work together, not only on missions but also during our training sessions. I believe you three are ready for the next step."

"Y-you think so, sensei?" Kasumi fidgeted in place, looking up to Utakata with an almost shy smile.

"I'm sure you are. You are the most promising shinobi we have, after all." Utakata smiled and the three children returned the gesture, pleased with the praise.

"We will take fewer missions starting now," he continued. "I want us to focus on improving our individual skills for the last stage of the exams. Haku!"

The boy jumped at the sudden mention of his name. "Yes, sensei?"

"Focus on improving your medical ninjutsu and Hyoton. I heard you're starting to learn the Mystical Palm Technique."

Haku nodded, a rare smirk on his face. "Yes, sensei. It took me five minutes to kill the fish last time!"

_Is that a good thing?_ Utakata nodded before turning his attention to Kasumi. "And you should work with Ameyuri-san on your kenjutsu. You two have similar styles, so that will be perfect."

"Yes, sensei!" she yelled, sending him a cheery salute.

"And Kimimaro..." The boy shifted before meeting his eyes. "I'll be working with you one on one to help improve your stamina and perfect your taijutsu. If you want, I can teach you some of my ninjutsu as well."

Kimimaro looked away, a pink tint on his face, before nodding. "Yes, sensei."

"Well, I sure talked a lot," he complained. "Let's break for the day. Unless... you three have any questions?"

The three children frowned before shaking their heads. Utakata let out a breath, relieved. For the rest of the day, he only wanted to spend time with Kimimaro and take a nap.

"Is that all, sensei?" Haku asked, polite as always.

"That's all. We'll meet in three days to discuss our progress and do some team drills. Don't be late! We'll meet at noon!"

"Yes, sensei," the children said at the same time.

"Well, I have to go and train with Ameyuri-senpai!" Kasumi shouted as she jumped up excitedly, extending a hand out for Haku.

"We will see you soon, Utakata-sensei, Kimimaro-kun," Haku said, bowing his head down.

"See you soon, sensei, Kimimaro-kun!" Kasumi waved her hand back and forth frantically before leaping away. Haku followed her out, bowing politely at Kimimaro and Utakata before leaving.

Within seconds, Kasumi's laughter was gone, leaving them alone together. Kimimaro shifted again, avoiding his eyes as he played with the hem of his sleeves, nervous.

Utakata sighed. "I promised you we would train together, didn't I?"

Kimimaro's eyes widened in joy and excitement and he nodded. "Yes, sensei."

"Do you want to show me what you've been working on first?" Utakata stood up with a grunt, extending a hand out for Kimimaro to take.

Eyes glittering, Kimimaro walked to the center of the field. Without waiting any longer, he began a taijutsu kata that looked almost like a dance.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Unlike the summer before, Sakura was actually having fun on vacation.

Since school had let out, Ino and Sakura had spent nearly every minute together. During the day, they would play games, practice their skills, or simply hang out. At night, they organized occasional sleepovers, whispering under the covers until they both drifted to sleep. With Ino at her side, even helping out at the Yamanaka Flower Shop was fun.

They could spend hours behind the counter, talking about whatever they wanted, giggling all the while. Sometimes, Ino's mother would serve them bowls of cut-up fruit as they waited for clients. Other times, Ino's father would come in and ramble about flowers and his business. Her favorite part, however, was seeing Ino in her element.

Ino was a perfect saleswoman. She could charm the money out of anyone with a smile and a few kind words. Meanwhile, Sakura stood in the background, too shy to interrupt. After closing the sale, they would make flower arrangements despite Sakura's mediocre skills.

It was on one of the days in which Sakura was helping Ino at the shop that Sasuke walked in.

While Ino and Sakura waited for the next customer, they heard the bell to the front ring. Together, they turned to the entrance at the same time, Ino with a welcoming smile already on her face.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop!" she chirped. "How may I-?"

The words died on her lips when she saw the boy standing inside. In an instant, Sakura felt her face go red and she hid behind Ino as best as she could.

Sasuke and Naruto were the only people that were ever consistently better than Ino in class. In comparison, Sakura was a mediocre student who could only brag about her math skills and giant forehead. _Only Ino is cool enough to talk to him._

"Oh! Hello, Sasuke-kun!" Ino greeted, her smile widening. "It's very nice to see you at our shop. You missed the last few days of class! Did you get sick or something?"

Sakura said nothing, looking at Sasuke from behind Ino's shoulder.

At the entrance, Sasuke glanced around the shop quickly before walking to the counter. Up close, Sakura noticed that his face was pale and his eyes sunken. Nevertheless, he met Ino's eyes unflinchingly, cool and collected as usual.

"I need to buy a lot of flowers," he said, ignoring Ino's question. "For tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Sure! We can do that! How many do you need? We can do a discount for large orders!"

A blank look passed over Sasuke's face before disappearing a second later. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I just... know that I need a lot. Maybe one thousand?"

"Wow! That many?" Sakura saw Ino's eyes widen in surprise. "Who are you buying them for? Your mom?"

A pained look flashed across Sasuke's face and he nodded. "And a few other people," he muttered. "How much will that cost?"

"It... It depends on the type of flower," Sakura forced herself to say.

For the first time since coming in, Sasuke glanced in her direction, though he did not seem to recognize her.

"W-what kind of flower do you need?" she continued. Despite her stuttering, she felt pride in being able to say anything.

"I don't know," Sasuke confessed, clasping his hands into fists and shoving them into his pockets.

"Well, what's the occasion?" Ino asked. "I can recommend what you need if you tell me."

"It's for-" Sasuke shook his head, swallowed, and looked away. "I don't know what the flowers are called. But... they're white."

"White?" Ino raised an eyebrow. "You do know white flowers are usually for funerals, right?" Sasuke got a glazed-over look in his eyes and nodded as Ino and Sakura realized the implication at the same time.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun! I'm..." Ino bit her lip, mortified. "I didn't mean to- I'm-"

"Ino. Sakura-chan."

Ino and Sakura turned around, faces burning red, unsure of what to say. Ino's father had walked in from the back room and he looked down at the three of them, a sad look in his eyes.

"Can you two girls help me put all the vases in the correct boxes in the back? I'll help Sasuke-kun."

"Oh... uh... sure, Daddy."

With that, Ino grabbed onto Sakura's wrist and pulled her away to the back room, a perfect reason to escape. With the staff door closed behind them, they gaped at each other, both equally mortified.

"Did you know-?" Sakura began.

Before she could finish her question, Ino shook her head vehemently. "No. But..." She bit her lip. "I guess that would explain a lot."

"Sasuke... he... looked really sad." Sakura stared down at her feet, wringing her hands. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ino chewing on her thumbnail.

"Should we-?" Sakura gulped and gestured to the vases spread throughout the floor of the back room.

Ino nodded, her face still red and eyes sad.

Together, they got started on the task, quiet for once. They were almost done putting all the vases away when Ino's father entered the back room with a sad sigh.

"Daddy!" Ino shouted, running up to him. Sakura followed close behind. "What was-? Is Sasuke-kun-?"

The man interrupted his frantic daughter's questions with a shake of his head. "I wasn't sure how to bring it up to you, Ino," he admitted. "But I guess I should tell you what happened. You too, Sakura-chan, considering he's also your classmate."

"E-explain?" Sakura swallowed. She wondered if it had anything to do with her parents' whispering whenever they thought she couldn't see. _And maybe why Ino's dad had so much work lately._

With a sad sigh, the man gestured to a bench. The two girls sat together side by side, their hands intertwined in comfort.

"I suppose I need to tell you a little about the Uchiha clan first," the man began.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sakura went home for the night, walking slowly as she tried to get her jumbled thoughts in order.

_Sasuke-kun... no wonder he wasn't in school._

Sakura bit her lip and stared at the ground, unsure of what to make of the thoughts rolling around in her mind. She could never imagine losing not only her parents but her entire family all in one night. With a sigh, she opened the front door and stepped inside, a wonderful smell leading her to the kitchen.

"Welcome home, darling!" her mother greeted, her back turned to Sakura. "Did you have fun with Ino-chan?"

"Y-yeah, I did, Mom," she answered, forcing a smile on her face. "We talked about flower arranging."

"Oh! That's good!" her mother said, her back still turned to Sakura. "You said you were having trouble with it, right?"

With a swallow, Sakura walked toward her mother. Before she could reconsider, she wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and buried her face in her midriff.

"Sakura?" Her mother paused her task, confused, as she placed a hand on top of Sakura's head. "Is something wrong?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. I'm just glad you're here, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, Sakura." Her mother put her spatula down and wrapped her arms around her. "You're my favorite child."

"I'm your only child," Sakura muttered, a genuine smile already on her lips.

"Still my favorite."

With a giggle, Sakura broke the hug. She grinned up at her mother, erasing the concerned frown on her face. "Thanks, Mom. When is Dad getting home?"

"In an hour or so. He has a lot of paperwork to do over at the Hokage's office," she answered.

_Probably because of what happened to Sasuke's family._ "Thanks, Mom. I can't wait for dinner."

"Of course! Your father should arrive soon. He promised we would have dinner together tonight."

"All right." Sakura nodded. "I'll be in my room. Ino lent me a book to read."

"Good girl." Her mother ruffled her hair, planting a kiss on her overly large forehead. "Go make us proud."

With a final nod, Sakura ran up to her bedroom.

Later, when her father arrived, they ate dinner as a family. They laughed, complained about the neighbors, and shared stories of their day. When they finished, Sakura helped her mother clean up. Later, she sat with her father, learning about paperwork- boring but necessary. With the moon up in the sky, her mother sent her off to bathe and get ready for bed.

Dressed in her pajamas, Sakura hugged her parents good night, holding on for longer than was strictly necessary.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Kneeling in front of the gravestone, Naruto peered at Sasuke from the corner of his eye.

Sasuke's face was grim but unexpectedly calm, his eyes closed in prayer. Naruto had expected him to cry but he was glad that he hadn't. At least not yet. Naruto could never rein in his own tears for long whenever anyone cried in his presence.

Naruto turned his attention back to the names of Sasuke's parents engraved on the stone in front of him.

Earlier in the morning, they had arrived in the Uchiha district, arms full of flowers, incense, and food. Together, they had placed their offerings on top of every single grave, both from before and after the Massacre. Sometimes, Sasuke would stop to send a prayer, hands clapped together and eyes closed. Naruto assumed it was for people he had known well. After they finished, a task that took hours, they had arrived at the graves of Sasuke's mother and father. Since then, they had knelt together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

After hours of kneeling, Naruto's legs began to burn, but he would rather practice the shamisen with Yugito than complain about it. Sasuke's parents had been the first adults in Konoha that had ever had treated him like any other person. He would miss them more than he could ever say. If it only meant discomfort, he would wait in front of their graves for the rest of his life.

Finally, once the sun began to set, Sasuke stood up, suppressing a wince. Naruto joined at his side, stretching his legs to get the feeling back to them.

"I want to visit my house first," Sasuke said, his face solemn. "There is something I want to take back. Do you want to come with me?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. 'Course."

"Hn." Without another word, Naruto and Sasuke left the cemetery, empty baskets in their hands.

Sasuke led them to his old home, opening the familiar door but saying nothing as he stepped inside. Together, they took their shoes off at the entrance before walking down the hall and up the stairs.

Unlike when Naruto had snuck in, the smell of iron was gone. However, the house was still too dark, empty, and quiet. _Sasuke's mother would've been forcing us to take a bath at around this time._

Without a word, Sasuke headed toward his parents' bedroom, pointedly ignoring the pictures with Itachi hanging on the walls. Not that Naruto could blame him. He doubted he himself could ever look at Itachi's face without fury welling up in his stomach.

While Naruto waited at the doorway, Sasuke entered the bedroom and started rummaging through a dresser, a determined expression on his face. Within a few seconds, he seemed to have found what he was looking for. He turned back to Naruto, a camera in his hands.

"I wanted to take this," he explained. "Since mom always took pictures whenever she had the chance."

"Oh," Naruto muttered. He walked to Sasuke's side, looking at the object more closely. "Have you used it before?"

"No," Sasuke admitted. "But it seems easy enough."

He placed the camera reverently inside the empty basket and walked out without another word. With Naruto at his heels, they went downstairs, putting their shoes back on at the entrance. Together, they left, not bothering to glance back as Sasuke closed the door behind them.

Side by side, they left the Uchiha compound and headed back to Sasuke's apartment in complete silence. When they arrived, Sasuke unlocked the door. They entered, placing the empty baskets near the entrance, as they kicked off their shoes.

Naruto glanced around the neat apartment. Over the past week, it had been transformed with the addition of pictures and decorations. Photos of Sasuke's family and from Naruto's birthday party were framed on the walls. A potted flower adorned the center of the dining table and new curtains hung from the kitchen windows.

On one corner of the room, they had built a small altar with framed pictures of Sasuke's parents. Since setting it up, they had given their offerings and prayers on a daily basis. They bowed in the altar's direction before continuing to the kitchen.

"What do you want for dinner, Naruto?" Sasuke asked. "And don't say Ichiraku again. We've been there too much already."

Naruto rolled his eyes. _We haven't been there that often!_ "Omurice?" he suggested. "Auntie showed me how to make it a while ago, ya know."

Sasuke shrugged. "Sure. Works for me."

With only a few words exchanged, they began to cook dinner together. Less than an hour later, they sat at the table, meal in front of them, still quieter than usual. They ate slowly, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey, Naruto, who do you think I look like?" Sasuke asked after a few minutes of chewing in silence. For some reason, he avoided meeting Naruto's eyes directly.

Naruto looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Is that a trick question? You look a lot like Auntie. Same pretty face and everything. Though you have Uchiha-san's eyes. Serious and kinda scary, ya know."

"Hn, okay." Sasuke huffed. In an instant, his expression lightened and Naruto saw a hint of a smile on his lips.

Naruto stared at him, frowning. _What's with him?_ He wanted to ask more, but the day had already been long enough without Naruto interrogating Sasuke.

Plates empty, Naruto helped Sasuke clean up. He said goodbye, promising to meet for breakfast the day after. Sasuke returned the farewell with a grunt of assent and a lazy wave of his hand.

With that agreement, Naruto ran back to his apartment as he had started to do again. Alone in his own home, he took a bath before getting ready for bed, almost wishing he had stayed the night with Sasuke.

_But Mom's picture isn't at Sasuke's apartment. _Lost in thought, he stared up at the ceiling as he soaked in the warm bath.

Countless times, Naruto had considered showing Sasuke the picture, but he knew that would be a bad idea. Naruto's mother had died when they were both babies. Neither had ever met her. Besides, how was he supposed to explain how he knew the red-headed girl was his mother? He couldn't exactly tell Sasuke the jinchuuriki had told him about her. He couldn't even tell Sasuke that he _was _a jinchuuriki. _He'd hate me._

The more time passed, the more Naruto wanted to know more. _Were Auntie and my mom friends or did they just know each other? And why couldn't Auntie tell me about her?_

Getting out of the bath, Naruto dressed and dried his hair quickly. Paranoid, he looked around his room, trying to sense if anyone was watching. Once certain he was alone, he grabbed a kunai, peeled back a floorboard under his bed, and took out the now-familiar picture.

Immediately, he smiled at the image, taking in every single detail as he placed it reverently on the bed. He knelt in front of the makeshift altar, closing his eyes and clapping his hands together, as had become his new routine.

"Mom, I don't know if you're listening," he began, part of him feeling strange for talking to a piece of paper. "But I like talking to you. I wish you were here with me. I think _you_ would have loved me, ya know." He paused to think about what to say next. "I don't know if you can see what I do, but I went with Sasuke to the Uchiha cemetery for the first time today. We got some flowers for Auntie and Uchiha-san and everyone else." He paused to swallow.

"I really wish you were here with me, Mom." He felt his voice cracking but he continued with his prayer. "I think you would have liked Sasuke, too. He's rude, annoying, and full of himself, but he's my friend and I think he likes me too, even if he will never say it. I wish Auntie had told me about you. Was Auntie _your _best friend like Sasuke is _my _best friend?"

Naruto opened his eyes. The girl in front of him was frozen in time, forever-smiling, arms eternally wrapped around her friend. "I wish I could give you a hug, Mom."

With his prayer finished, Naruto took the picture in his hands, holding it close to his heart before hiding it under his pillow. Exhausted from the day, he collapsed into bed. He drifted to sleep, his dreams plagued with images of graves and a girl that would never grow old.

**O-O-O-O-O**

As his teammates began to set up camp, Gaara walked around the area, as had become his custom. He breathed in the dry desert air, already growing hot with the rise of day.

For the first time, instead of being asked to eliminate a target, his team had been assigned an escort mission. Starting at the capital, they were asked to take a man through the desert and to his town in the Land of Rivers.

Since leaving the capital, their client had spent most of his time at Baki's side. A few times, he had talked to Temari and Kankuro as well, telling stories of his travels and his town. Despite walking apart from the others, Gaara enjoyed listening to the man speak. He had a voice that commanded attention, which reminded him vaguely of Roshi and Yagura.

Taking a cue from the rest of his team, their client had yet to interact with Gaara directly. However, the man would throw Gaara quick and curious glances whenever they stopped to eat or for a break. He guessed the man was curious as to why Gaara was isolated from his own team. It was not every day that a grown man and two older children were terrified of a quiet eight-year-old boy.

As Gaara wandered around the desert by himself, a flash of dark pink caught his eye. Curious, he walked toward it and found a patch of tiny cacti blooming together near a mossy patch. His heart began beating faster in excitement.

It was a plant he had never seen before, even in the many books he owned on the subject. _Did I discover something new?_

Excited, Gaara squatted down, looking at the patch of plants from up close. They were tiny succulents, barely taller than his ankle. The spines were unusual, looking like furry little starfish, and the large blooming flowers were a vivid magenta color. If he didn't have several days of travel left, Gaara would have tried taking a specimen with him back to Sunagakure.

With only one option available, he dug through his coat pockets for his travel sketchbook and pencil. After a lot of practice, he had gotten better at recreating the many flowers and cacti he had collected in his room. Still, his skills were yet to reach the same level as the illustrations in his books. In any case, drawing was fun and it was something to do when the other jinchuuriki were busy or sleeping.

He was so engrossed in trying to capture the image of the cacti, that he didn't notice when the client approached him.

"Did you find something interesting, bud?" the man's deep voice called out from behind Gaara.

Taken out of his reverie, Gaara flinched. Wide-eyed, he turned his head to see the client staring down at him from a short distance away. To his shock, the man was still alive and standing as the sand had not reacted to his presence. Bewildered, Gaara wondered if he had improved his control or if the man was so unthreatening the sand had refused to react. He gaped up at the man, unsure of what to say.

Staring down at him, the man crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised an eyebrow. When Gaara still said nothing, he walked closer before squatting down next to him. Gaara tensed at the client's approach, but he didn't move away. Except for the jinchuuriki and his uncle long ago, no one ever came close to him by choice.

"Did you find something interesting, bud?" the man repeated his question. "I guess so because you've been staring at the same patch of dirt for the past ten minutes or so."

"I-" Gaara swallowed, unsure of what to make of the stranger's friendly tone. _No one ever speaks to me like that_. "I found a cactus I had never seen before," he managed to answer. "I was trying to draw it since I won't be able to take it with me back to Sunagakure." He showed the man a glimpse of the sketch he had been working on.

"Oh! That's pretty good, bud!" the man said, tilting his head to the side as he inspected the drawing. "I imagine it would be better with color, but I guess that's not a priority to carry when you're on one of your ninja missions."

Gaara nodded as he inspected the man closely for the first time. Their client was on the older side, crow's feet, age, and laugh lines marking his face. However, his hair, which was cropped short, only had a few streaks of gray in it. His body was strong and toned, seemingly from spending so much outside and traveling. Gaara guessed he was in his forties at the latest.

"I'm not familiar with the plants of the desert," the man admitted as he squinted at the cacti in front of them. "I know more about the vegetation in my country. More ferns, bushes, and flowers. Lots of trees. Have you ever been to the Land of Rivers?"

Gaara nodded, remembering their team mission there and how quiet Shukaku had gotten afterward. "I have. Lots of tall trees."

The man laughed. "Well, you sure got that right! Though I hear the Land of Fire has got some amazing plant life, too. I've only been to Konohagakure once though, so I couldn't tell you much about that."

_That's where Naruto lives_. "I see," Gaara muttered, unsure what else to say.

The man's grin widened. "Well, Baki-san is getting dinner- or breakfast?- ready for us. Why don't you join us this time?"

"I can't." Gaara forced the familiar mask of tranquility to settle over his features. On every mission, he ate by himself, sitting apart from the rest of his team.

"Can't?" the man raised an eyebrow as he stared down at Gaara, bewildered. "Why can't you?"

"Because my team is scared of me."

"Why is that?" The man looked, if anything, more confused than before.

"I'm stronger than they are."

To his continued surprise, instead of running away as most tended to do, the man laughed again. "Well, in that case, I'm glad I hired your team! If a little boy can scare the pants off of that terrifying Baki man, then I know I'm in the right hands." He grinned at Gaara, his eyes crinkling in happiness.

Gaara responded with a confused frown. _What's wrong with this man?_

"What's your name, anyway?" the man asked, a toothy grin still on his face, seeming completely at ease.

"Gaara." He stared up at the man, still confused.

"Well, my name is Yuda." The man introduced himself and extended a hand out for Gaara to shake. "It's nice to meet you."

Gaara stared at the extended hand. _Is he actually serious?_ Unsure, he reached his hand out to return the gesture. The man's palms were dry and callused, yet full of warmth. The touch was electrifying and it made him shiver despite the warmth of a desert summer. _I can't remember the last time someone touched me._

"It's nice to meet you, too," Gaara whispered in return, unable to meet Yuda's eyes as he pulled his hand back. It was becoming more and more difficult to maintain his facade.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your project," Yuda said as he stood up with a tired groan. "It was nice to talk to you, Gaara-kun. Has anyone ever told you that you're a cute kid?"

For the first time since his uncle's death, Gaara lost control of his composure completely as his face heated up in a blush. In a vain attempt to hide it, he turned his head away from the man and focused on the cacti in front of him. _Only the jinchuuriki have ever called me cute before._

With one final chuckle, Yuda walked away, presumably to help his team get dinner started. Gaara watched him leave from the corner of his eye, unsure of what to name the feelings running around in his mind.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: So I gave myself feels with the Naruto and Kushina scene. The cactus Gaara finds is based on **_**Mammillaria theresae**_**. It's a beautiful little cactus found in Mexico.**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. I'm also on Discord if you want to add me.**

**Next chapter: return to school.**


	34. Budding Friendships

**In which Gaara makes friends and the boys return to school.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

After their conversation, Yuda sat closer to Gaara at dinner, to his team's quiet shock. While he and Gaara did not talk, Yuda made sure to look at him as he told them all a story about his town of Shisen.

It was only after cleaning up that Yuda approached Gaara again.

"Do you know a lot about plants, bud?" Yuda asked, joining Gaara's side under the shade of a palm tree.

At the question, Gaara shifted in his seat. "I only know about plants from the desert," he finally answered.

"Oh?" the man tilted his head to the side quizzically. "I guess that would make sense. I mean, I know the most about the plants from where I live, after all."

Gaara stared, still unsure how to respond to the man's interest in him. In the background, Kankuro and Temari gaped at their conversation in open amazement. Baki, setting up the tents for the day, hid his consternation better with only a small frown visible on his face.

"Well, if you know about the desert, can you tell me what that thing is right over there?" Yuda pointed to a round cactus full of thick thorns. "I've seen a lot of them around and I've been wondering."

Gaara's heart began beating faster and his lips quirked up despite himself. "That's a barrel cactus," he began. "They can get pretty big and can live for up to one hundred years. They usually get these yellow or orange flowers at the end of April or so. You can eat the fruit, but it's very bitter."

Yuda raised an eyebrow, impressed. He pointed to a different cactus, one standing tall and skinny in the middle of the desert. "And what's that one called?"

"That's called a saguaro," Gaara answered, excitement making his self-consciousness vanish. "They can get up to twelve meters tall or maybe even taller in the right conditions. It is very efficient at saving water for very long periods of drought. Some birds and other small animals make holes and live inside. Because of their efficiency at storing water, they can get very heavy."

"Huh, that's quite impressive, bud," the man said, crossing his arms in front of his chest with a smile on his face. "Do you keep any at home? It seems like you would."

"Not saguaro or barrel cactus. They're too big," he answered, shaking his head. "But I have some small potted succulents in my bedroom. When they get too big, I take them back to the desert. But some of them stay small so I could keep them forever if I wanted to."

"Makes sense. That's just what plants are like." He sighed as he leaned back on the trunk of the tree, looking up at the palm leaves. "My daughter opened a gardening store in our village. She sells all kinds of stuff. Herbs and vegetables. She offers cut flowers too, mostly for events and things. Weddings are her big earners."

"Daughter?" The man had not looked old enough to have a daughter old enough to open her own business.

Yuda chuckled. "Yeah, I had her when I was only seventeen," he admitted. "Which just goes to show, when you're a teenager, be careful when you fall in love. I love my daughter, but I wish I had been better prepared for her back when she was born."

Gaara nodded, sidestepping the topic of falling in love. While he wasn't sure if he wanted romance one day, he doubted anyone other than the jinchuuriki could ever love him back. "So she opened her own store?"

"She sells a little of everything. If you want, I can introduce you two when we get back to Shisen," he offered. "Mako inherited her love of plants from her mother and me. She would probably get excited about gushing with someone else. She might give you some seeds to take home."

Gaara's eyes widened and he grinned up at the man for the first time, his mask forgotten. "Can you, please? I would like that."

The man laughed. "I thought you would, Gaara-kun."

Gaara tilted his head to the side, pleased. "Thank you, Yuda-san."

"Yuda-san, we have finished setting up the tents." Baki walked toward them, shifting his gaze from Gaara to Yuda with a barely-contained frown.

In an instant, the familiar mask of neutrality fell over Gaara's face. He stared up unblinkingly at Baki, silent once more.

Yuda sighed before standing up. "I suppose I should try to rest as much as I can," he agreed as he brushed some of the sand away. "Tomorrow we'll reach the Land of Rivers though. It should be easier and faster to travel once we're there."

"Of course, Yuda-san," Baki answered with a polite nod of his head. He glanced at Gaara one last time before walking away, leaving Yuda and Gaara alone once more.

The man glanced at Gaara one last time before turning in for the day. "It was nice to talk to you, Gaara-kun," he said. "I hope we'll be able to talk more."

"It was nice to talk to you too, Yuda-san." Gaara's composure cracked enough to smile.

With a final grin, Yuda waved goodbye before making his way to where Baki had sent up camp. Gaara kept his gaze focused on the man's back as he walked away and entered his tent, zipping it closed behind him.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke woke up earlier than he had wanted.

The sun was only beginning to rise, the streets still dark. Chirping birds fluttered past his window in search of food. The morning breeze made the tree branches outside sway back and forth.

He sat up, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

After visiting the cemetery with Naruto for the first time, a routine had formed. In the morning, Naruto and Sasuke would meet for breakfast, taking turns cooking. After that, they would practice in one of the public training grounds- the Uchiha compound too full of memories to visit.

At first, they had only practiced with shuriken and kunai. After a few days, however, they had begun to spar together once more. To Sasuke's annoyance, they were still almost evenly matched. While he hated losing every few rounds, the familiar experience was almost comforting.

While Sasuke could have spent the entire day training, Naruto ensured he did other things. Sometimes, they would cook together, going through his mother's list of recipes. Other times, especially after long training sessions, they would simply sit in front of the television. Their favorite show, _The Steel Samurai_, was ridiculous and inaccurate, but admittedly fun to watch. Naruto stayed over every Friday night so they could watch new episodes in the morning.

At least once a week, they would visit the cemetery with incense and food offerings. Together, they cleaned the gravestones and prayed side by side. Those days were dreary, yet Sasuke looked forward to the visits all the same.

Thinking about the end of his now-familiar routine brought a grimace to his face. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was not even six in the morning and he had almost three hours to get ready. His stomach turned over itself at the thought of returning to the Academy. _At least Naruto will be there, too._

At the reminder that he wouldn't be _completely _surrounded by strangers, his mood shifted. _Yeah, Naruto will be there. Hinata too, I guess._

With a sigh, Sasuke left the comfort of his bed. He brushed his teeth, looking at his reflection unflinchingly. _Naruto said I looked like Mom with Dad's eyes. Not like that man._ The thought made him feel happier than he had expected.

After dressing himself, he cooked, preparing breakfast and packing a simple bento box. He knelt down at the altar of his parents, sending them a familiar prayer. When he was done, he still had over an hour before classes were set to start. However, there was nothing for him to do, so he left, locking the door to the apartment that was his new home.

Despite taking his time to get to the Academy, Sasuke was the very first student to arrive.

_Maybe I should have stayed over at Naruto's place. Then we could have come together._ He shook his head. Regret was pointless and the past couldn't be changed. He huffed before going to sit alone at a desk in the front, glaring at the door.

Silent and impatient, he sat and waited. Nearly twenty minutes later, the door slid open and someone walked in. However, instead of Naruto or even Hinata, a boy wearing sunglasses stepped inside. The boy glanced at Sasuke before going to sit at the back, not a single word said.

_Naruto better not be late again._ With a sigh, Sasuke turned his attention back to the door in wait.

The next person to enter was a girl with shoulder-length brown hair. However, instead of sitting by herself as the boy had done, she made a beeline toward him.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" the girl said in a simpering tone. Without asking for permission, she sat at his side, closer than comfortable. "I heard from my mom and dad what happened! If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm right here. You know, I-"

Sasuke tuned the girl out. He had no idea who she was and he didn't want to know. Staring at the door, he blocked out her words as the seconds ticked by.

However, instead of Naruto, more people he didn't know or care about came in. Unlike the boy with sunglasses, most of them walked toward him, babbling about things he didn't want to talk or think about. Increasingly annoyed, he let their words wash over him.

For an instant, his hopes rose when Hinata walked in. But instead of rescuing him from the legion of annoying children, she bit her lip and sat at a desk by herself. Still biting her lip, she watched Sasuke from the corner of her eye, pushing her fingertips together.

Sasuke grimaced as more people joined, his composure increasingly difficult to maintain. Despite saying nothing in return, they kept talking and talking and would not shut up. Annoyed, Sasuke bit his tongue to stop his feelings from showing on his face.

It was almost time for the class to begin and Naruto had yet to show up. _That loser probably forgot to set the alarm again._

Finally, only a few minutes before the bell rang, Naruto slammed the door open and burst inside, making heads turn at the interruption. He made a quick sweep over the classroom before his eyes settled on Sasuke. Sasuke felt his heart beating faster in anticipation. _Finally._

With a grin, Naruto ran toward him, perfectly ignoring the gaggle of students. "Hey, Sasuke!" he shouted. "Good morning! Sorry I'm late! I-"

Before Naruto could join him, a boy with short black hair pushed him away, making him fall to the floor. Naruto's sentence was cut short as he hit the ground with a yelp and landed on his elbow.

"What's with you being so familiar?" the boy sneered. "Can't you read the mood here?"

Sasuke ignored him. Without hesitation, he jumped over the desk and ran toward his friend, who had started rubbing at his elbow.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted as he extended a hand down. "Are you okay?"

Naruto winced, still rubbing at his hurt elbow. "Yeah, I'm okay." He took Sasuke's extended hand, pulling himself up. "Just hit my elbow in a weird way, ya know."

"That's good." Sasuke smiled at him before turning to glower at the other children. "What was that for? You could have hurt him!"

"Wait! Why are you talking to _him_?" the girl from the beginning sneered as she turned her nose up at Naruto.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and his scowl intensified. "Because he's my friend!" he shouted.

Without saying anything else, he grabbed Naruto's hand and dragged him to where Hinata was sitting alone. Her face turned a deep shade of red and she moved to the side, giving the three of them space to sit together. Despite her clear embarrassment, Sasuke was sure he saw a hint of a smile on her lips.

"And she's my friend, too!" Sasuke finished, gesturing to Hinata. He really hoped she agreed or he would never live it down.

A hush fell over the entire room as the other students absorbed his words. Sasuke avoided their eyes. Furious for Naruto's sake, his body shook. He glared determinedly at the blackboard, jaw clenched, sandwiched between Naruto and Hinata.

Time crawled, the sound of the ticking clock deafening in the quiet room. When no one else said anything, the rest of the students, most of whom had surrounded Sasuke earlier, made their way toward their own seats. Sasuke didn't turn to look at any of them, his furious glare focused on the front of the classroom.

"You can let go of my hand now, ya know," Naruto whispered in his ear after a few minutes. His voice sounded more amused than Sasuke would have liked.

With a startle, Sasuke let go of Naruto's hand. He placed his hands together over his lap, his gaze trained on the front of the classroom. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment. "Hn."

Naruto snorted but said nothing else. Sasuke refused to look at him. He already knew Naruto's face would be full of smug superiority. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata pushing her fingertips together, a furious blush still on her face.

Naruto snickered, the sound echoing in the silent room. "You called me your friend," he giggled. "About time, ya know!"

"Shut up, loser," Sasuke muttered, praying for their teacher to walk in. "I'll kill you."

To his dismay, that only made Naruto laugh harder.

**O-O-O-O-O**

When Iruka walked into the classroom, instead of the usual chatter, he was met with complete and absolute silence. _Well, that's unusual._

"Uh... good morning, class!" he greeted with a smile as he walked toward his desk. "I hope you all enjoyed your summer vacation?"

A few students nodded but said nothing in return. Iruka was only growing more and more confused. _They're quieter than when we are taking exams._

He looked around the classroom, trying to find a reason for the strange mood. His jaw dropped when he saw the three children sharing a desk near the window.

Unlike the other students, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata were not looking around the classroom. Instead, Sasuke had his gaze focused determinedly at the front, staring but seeing nothing. At his side, Hinata pushed her fingertips together, a luminescent blush on her face. Naruto, in comparison, wore a smug smirk, his eyes bright and happy.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei!" the blond greeted, waving his arm back and forth. "My summer was nice! I spent a lot of time with Sasuke, ya know!"

Iruka blinked. _Wait, what?_ _Don't they hate each other?_

"Well... uh... that's nice, Naruto." He forced himself to smile. "Now, why don't we get the class started?"

With confused frowns on their faces, the rest of the class nodded, eager for normalcy to return.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto laughed as he ran out of the classroom, taking Sasuke's hand with one hand and Hinata's with the other. Holding a bento box in his free hand, Sasuke allowed himself to be pulled out, ignoring the shocked looks from the other students.

"Let's eat outside!" Naruto shouted as he led them out. He turned his head to grin behind him at Sasuke and Hinata.

Sasuke pouted in return while Hinata straightened, her blush receding. "Th-that sounds nice, Naruto-kun."

Naruto smirked at Sasuke, a mischievous look on his face. "We have to celebrate! It's the first time Sasuke has called me a friend out loud, ya know!"

"I take it back," Sasuke grumbled. "You're not my friend. You're just a stupid loser."

"No takebacks!" Naruto ran faster, dragging them both along.

"_And_ you don't have to hold my hand, ya know," Sasuke muttered as he pulled his hand back.

"Ya know?" Naruto and Hinata repeated at the same time. Naruto's smirk, if possible, widened while Hinata tilted her head to the side, a smile full of amusement on her lips.

Sasuke felt his face heat up again. "Shut up," he mumbled. He ran faster, taking the lead, trying to ignore Naruto and Hinata's giggling as best as he could.

A minute later, they were sitting under the shade of a tree. Naruto was still snickering while Hinata looked more amused than Sasuke had expected. He avoided their attention by taking off the lid from his bento box and glaring at the contents within.

It was a simple meal: onigiri with an assortment of vegetables, adequate but nothing like what his mother had prepared on a daily basis. The memory brought a familiar stab of pain but he did not allow it to show on his face.

"Oh... um, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke was getting ready to bite into the first riceball when Hinata's timid voice called out his name. He glanced up to meet her eyes. She was looking down at her knees, pushing her fingertips together with a slight blush on her face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Oh... I... uh..." she swallowed to fortify herself before pushing a very large bento box closer to Sasuke. "I asked my mother to prepare extra food for today because I wasn't sure if you could get food now that... um..." she started to ramble. "Anyway, I'm not sure what you like, but I got extra food for you. But I notice you have a bento box for yourself now and with what I have it's probably too much, so if you want, you can take it for later. I... uh..."

Hinata paused her rambling to meet Sasuke's eyes. She bit her lip and swallowed. "I thought you might need something to eat at lunchtime," she finished.

Sasuke blinked at her. "It's... for me?"

Hinata only nodded, mute once more. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto looking at the exchange with his eyes open wide.

Sasuke turned his full attention back to Hinata with a gulp, unsure what to make of her kindness. He stared at the lunchbox in front of him, too large for one person to eat alone.

"Thank you," Sasuke mumbled, bowing his head down in gratitude. To his surprise, he felt tears beginning to build at the corners of his eyes. He pushed them back.

"Thank you very much," he repeated, bowing his head down further before looking up at her.

If Hinata saw his tears she said nothing. "You're welcome, Sasuke-kun." She smiled at him, kind and gentle. It reminded him of his mother and made it harder than before to hold the flood of emotions back.

Trying to be subtle but knowing he was failing, Sasuke used his knuckles to rub at his eyes. To his relief, neither Hinata nor Naruto said anything. Opening his eyes, he stared at the feast Hinata had offered. It was so well prepared it made his simple meal look pathetic in comparison. _It probably tastes as good as it looks._

"Hey, so... uh... are we still gonna train after school?" Naruto asked to break the awkward silence that had fallen over them.

Sasuke grabbed onto the interruption like a lifeline. "Yeah. I think we should." He turned toward Hinata. "Are you fine with that?"

She nodded, her eyes growing bright in excitement. "Yes! But tomorrow, Sasuke-kun. I told my father I would go home after school today since I wasn't sure if we were still going to meet up."

"I see," Sasuke said. He took a bite of tamagoyaki from Hinata's bento box. To his amazement, it was delicious with perfectly balanced flavors, almost as good as his mother's cooking. He shoved the rest of the omelet into his mouth.

"Well, I bet you got a lot stronger over the break, right Hinata-chan?" Naruto grinned at her.

Hinata nodded, a small, satisfied smile on her lips. "Yes. Father told me I have been improving a lot recently. It's still very hard. But I'm enjoying training more."

With that, conversation broke out, led by Naruto and Hinata. Sasuke listened along, chiming in only when he felt necessary. When they finished eating, stomachs full after sharing Hinata's lunchbox, they sat together, reveling in each other's company. Under the shade of the tree, they waited for their break to end.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yuda, while unfamiliar with cacti and succulents, had a lot to teach once they reached the Land of Rivers. One fern was good for reducing fever, a red flower was purely decorative, a shrub produced poisonous berries. Gaara listened to everything, enraptured as he absorbed every detail.

For the first time in his life, Gaara was able to forget all of his troubles in a place other than the Room. Captivated, he stayed at the man's side, the conversations with him flowing just as smoothly as the ones with Fuu and Naruto did. Because of that, the rest of the journey to the man's village in the Land of Rivers passed quickly.

"Oh, we're almost home. It's right over there," Yuda said as he ran down the road and pointed to a lookout deck. "Shisen is located inside a canyon so we have to climb down some stairs. You should get a good view of our town over here first."

Gaara and his team joined the man's sides.

His first impression of the fishing village was that it was tiny. Unlike Sunagakure and especially unlike the capital, there were only a few small homes, most made out of wood. Four thin rivers converged in the middle of what looked like the center of activity. He doubted more than a couple of hundred people lived there.

Gaara frowned. _Is that it?_

Yuda laughed when he saw the look on his face. "It's not much," he admitted. "But it _is _home."

With Gaara and his teammates at his side, the man began to make his way down the stairs effortlessly. Once at the bottom, they walked toward the town center.

"Oh, Yuda-sama, you're back!" a woman carrying an infant slung across her back greeted when she saw Yuda. "How was the journey?"

"Not bad. Not bad," Yuda answered with a wave of his hand. "We got a decent deal to set up a trading route with the Land of Wind. I hired these guys from Sunagakure. They're pretty good."

"That's nice to hear." The woman turned her attention toward Gaara and his team, a smile on her face. "Thank you very much for helping Yuda-sama make his way back." She bowed her head down in gratitude.

Taken aback, Gaara only stared at her while Temari and Kankuro muttered their thanks. Yuda waved goodbye at the woman before he continued walking.

"We're a small town," the man explained as he walked. "Everyone knows everyone here. And people here seem to like me for some reason. They voted me the town head, after all." Distracted, he waved at a young man pushing a wheelbarrow.

Upon arriving at the town's center, the sights, sounds, and smells were instantly overwhelming and unfamiliar. Yet, Gaara could not stop looking around, full of carefully-hidden curiosity and excitement.

It was so different from Sunagakure that Gaara wondered if he had fallen asleep. For one, Gaara had never seen so much water together in one place before. Boats and canoes bobbed up and down on the water's surface. Bridges crisscrossed the entire town, which on closer inspection was largely built on stilts.

The people were different, too. Though it was the middle of the day, they walked through the streets, going about their daily business. Fishermen pulled their catch while vendors shouted their prices and haggled with shoppers.

As they walked, people stopped what they were doing to welcome Yuda back, exchanging pleasantries. Gaara couldn't stop looking up at the man in awe. He was full of charisma and kindness in a way that reminded him of Fuu and Naruto. _Are there any more people like him in the world?_

However, nothing could have prepared Gaara for the most striking difference: the lack of fear.

After Yuda introduced them, the people would greet his team with smiles or waves of their hands. A few times, they thanked them for bringing their leader back unharmed.

While his siblings returned their gratitude with nice words, Gaara stared blankly at the people, unsure how else to react. He had never been to a place where people didn't fear and despise him before. The desire to escape from Sunagakure grew stronger. _ Is this how people treat you when you're not a jinchuuriki?_

Uncomfortable, he resisted the urge to grasp onto the hem of his travel cloak.

Finally, after they talked to what felt like every single person in Shisen, Yuda knocked on the front door of a large wooden house. Without waiting for an answer, he walked inside, kicking his traveling boots off at the door.

"Please come in," he said to Gaara's team, as he stepped into his home. "Himiko-chan! Mako! I'm home!"

"Dad!" At Yuda's words, a young woman who looked to be Yugito's age ran into the room. She grinned before running toward him, jumping on the man and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're back! Took you long enough!"

"Mako!" Yuda lifted her up in a hug. "Sorry it took me so long. How's your mother?"

"She's fine. She says she's happier without you around, but I always see her staring out the window looking wistful." The woman rolled her eyes.

Yuda laughed. "Well, I'm glad to be back. Anyway, I want you to meet the people that helped me get here." He turned around and gestured toward Gaara and his team, turning the woman, Mako's, attention toward them.

"This here is Baki-san," Yuda began. Baki nodded in acknowledgment. "And here is Temari-chan." Temari bowed her head down, a smile on her lips. "And Kankuro-kun." Kankuro crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked. "And Gaara-kun."

Gaara stared up at the woman, unsure how to respond. Taking Kankuro's lead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face controlled to remain neutral.

"It's very nice to meet you," the woman said in return as she bowed her head down, lower than necessary. "Thank you for bringing my father back safely."

Gaara forced himself not to shuffle at all the positive attention in one day.

"The pleasure was ours," Baki replied. "With this, our mission is complete."

"Oh, right, I'm supposed to pay you guys, aren't I?" Yuda chuckled to himself before his face shifted into a frown. "Wait. Why are you four still standing outside, anyway? Come on in! It's too hot and humid outside!"

"Thank you very much, Yuda-san." Baki took his shoes off and stepped inside.

Temari and Kankuro followed his lead. Still unbalanced, Gaara joined them a second later.

"I was just about to start on dinner," Mako continued as she led them down a hallway. "Mom went to get some fish since she thought you'd be back by now, Dad."

They entered a large living area attached to a kitchen. Yuda sat down at a sofa and gestured for Gaara's team to relax. Unused to hospitality, the four of them followed his instructions in uncomfortable silence.

"We will return to Sunagakure once the payment has been completed," Baki said.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Yuda said with a chuckle. "I would pay you right now, but I want you all to stay for dinner first."

Baki frowned. "We must report to the Kazekage as quickly as possible," he argued.

"You can spare an hour or two on dinner though, can't you?"

Baki shook his head. "I'm afraid that would be a bad idea. The Kazekage is expecting us to be back the day after tomorrow.."

"Just stay for dinner!" Yuda insisted. "My wife makes very good fish stew."

"We cannot, Yuda-san." With a nod, he stood up, gesturing for Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari to follow his lead. "We will leave now and that is my final decision."

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara wasn't sure how, but somehow they ended up staying not only for dinner but also for the night.

While Yuda and Baki were still arguing, the man's wife had arrived, introducing herself as Himiko. She had been the one to ultimately win the fight against Baki, arguing that it was the least they could do as thanks.

With Baki's reluctant agreement, their three hosts had urged them to take a bath and rest as they waited for the food to cook. By the time they cleaned up- the first time Gaara had ever been able to take a real bath- dinner was ready.

The meal had been a lively affair. They ate around the small dining table, mismatched chairs shoved close together to maximize the limited space.

Yuda, Himiko, and Mako were perfect hosts, asking questions about life in Suna and listening attentively. Upon learning that Gaara also liked plants, Mako's eyes had brightened. She had focused her attention on him and inundated him with questions.

While at first Gaara had been unsure of what to say, when she started to ramble about rare flower varieties, he had opened up. By the end of the night, their conversations flowed as easily as they did with Yuda.

Before they retired to bed, she gifted him with a packet of flower seeds and a list of care instructions. He thanked her profusely as he placed the present inside his pocket, next to his sketchbook. With final wishes for a good night, Yuda and his family went to bed.

While his team took the opportunity to rest before their journey back, Gaara climbed to the rooftop. Alone, he meditated, feeling the familiar pull that transported him away.

When Gaara entered the Room, Roshi was talking to Naruto and Fuu, looking overjoyed to see them. For the past few weeks, the man had been more talkative than usual, wanting to know every single detail in their lives. According to Han and Yagura, he was lonely because they had gotten separated on their hunt for some missing-nin. Gaara hoped they would find him quickly. Roshi was starting to look miserable and half-crazed after months of being alone.

"Gaara!" Naruto and Fuu shrieked when they saw him appear.

With shouts of glee, they ran toward him. Fuu lifted him up effortlessly in a tight hug while Naruto wrapped his arms around both of them, giggling. Roshi walked toward them and placed a hand on Gaara's head, ruffling his hair.

"I haven't seen you in, like, a week! I thought you were still on a mission!" Fuu said in a cheerful tone. "Or did you already get back to Suna?"

In Fuu's tight grip, Gaara struggled to shake his head. "No, we ended up staying the night at Shisen."

"Shisen?" Naruto and Fuu asked at the same time. Fuu placed him back on the ground. Gaara took in a deep inhale, his lungs screaming in thanks.

"It's where our client lives," Gaara explained. "We escorted him there from the capital."

"Oh, that's nice," Roshi said as he gestured to the center of the room, urging them to sit down in a circle. "A town?"

Gaara nodded. He sat down in a cross-legged position on the ground, leaning his head on Fuu's shoulder. Naruto placed his head on his lap, looking up at him curiously.

"It's full of water," Gaara explained. "But the town is kind of small. I took a bath there for the first time!"

"First time you took a bath?" Naruto teased with a raised eyebrow. "No wonder you smell so bad!"

Gaara rolled his eyes. "A bath in a bathtub! We have to save water in Suna. You know it doesn't rain there often!"

Naruto giggled. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Sounds like you liked the village, Gaara-kun," Roshi said.

"I do," Gaara admitted. "It's just..."

"Just?" Fuu repeated, an eyebrow raised.

"It's just that the man we escorted there was... strange."

"Strange?" A steely tone entered Roshi's voice and he moved to sit closer to Gaara. "In which way?"

"It's... um... I don't know how to explain it," he said, mulling over how to answer.

"Did he do anything to you?" Roshi asked, his voice, if anything, sounded more strained with a hint of anger.

Gaara pouted and he looked up at Roshi. "He touched me, I guess."

"He... touched you?" For some reason Gaara didn't understand, Roshi's face turned murderous.

Gaara nodded. "Yeah. He shook my hand when we met. I think it's the first time anyone has touched me since..." He swallowed, afraid to finish the sentence. "And after that, he talked to me about plants. His daughter has a gardening store, so he knows a lot about them. And I told him about the cacti in the desert. He said my drawing of this cactus I found was really good." He smiled to himself at the memory of Yuda's praise.

"Oh! He touched your hand!" Roshi exhaled a sigh of relief. He leaned back, leaning on his elbows. "For a second I was worried-" he paused as the three children blinked at Roshi, confused. He shook his head. "Nevermind what I thought. What did you find so strange, Gaara-kun?"

Gaara frowned, unsure of what to make of Roshi's shifting moods. He shrugged. "It's just that I haven't had someone being so nice to me before," he admitted. "It was weird. And his wife and daughter were nice too. His daughter even gave me a packet of seeds to take back to Suna."

"Wow! That sounds great!" Fuu said. "What kind of flowers are they? Are they difficult to grow? Do you think they will be fine when you take them back? Did they give you anything else?"

"His wife made a very good fish stew," he said, trying to answer all of Fuu's questions. "She gave me pansies. I don't think they're too hard to grow so they should be fine inside."

"That's so nice, Gaara!" Fuu leaned her head against Gaara's.

"I liked his family a lot," Gaara admitted. "I... I kind of wish I could stay with them."

Roshi frowned. "Yes. I can imagine."

The Room grew quiet, the reality of Gaara's life too depressing to ignore. Fuu wrapped an arm around him while Naruto snuggled closer. Roshi ruffled his hair again, making Gaara smile in comfort.

"Mama, I just have one question," Gaara said once the silence had stretched on for too long.

"What is it, Gaara?"

"Are there a lot of kind people like that in the world?"

"There are," Roshi said. "Though it can be hard to find them. Sometimes you have to look really hard."

"There are some good people, Gaara," Fuu added. "Like Takumi-sensei. He's always nice to me, even after I accidentally left the door open and all the bugs came in during the night."

"I thought you did that on purpose," Naruto commented.

"There's no proof of that."

Gaara hummed to himself, deep in thought. "I think I should say thanks to Yuda-san and his family," he concluded. "Maybe I can give them something."

"Sounds like a good idea, Gaara-kun," Roshi said. "Especially after they gave you a gift."

Gaara nodded. Together, they spent the next hour brainstorming for gift ideas, only stopping when he had to wake up.

With a plan in place, Gaara opened his eyes, returning to the physical world in Shisen. He smiled to himself and climbed down from the roof.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I have a headcanon that whenever Sasuke is embarrassed, (which is almost never because he was born with an underdeveloped shame gene) he says 'ya know.'**

**Thank you so much to Morket for beta-ing this chapter. My gratitude is immeasurable.**

**Also, an update? Just a week after the last one? I hope to be able to go back to the semi-weekly updates now, y'all. No promises, though. **

**I have a Tumblr at waffledogwrites. You can also add me on Discord (account on my profile).**

**Next chapter: Sasuke gets mad.**


	35. Better Late Than Never

**In which Temari plucks up her courage and Sasuke gets mad.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

As they leaped through the forest canopy, Temari glanced at Gaara from the corner of her eye. As always, he was quiet and reserved as he hung back, separate from the group.

Lost in thought, Temari bit her lip.

The last mission had turned her world upside down and nothing made sense anymore. Puppies were cute. Kittens were cute. Kankuro could, at times, be _slightly _cute.

But Gaara? Gaara was never cute. Gaara was a demon. Possessed. Vengeful. Angry. Dangerous.

Yet, she had no other word to describe what she had seen on their mission other than 'cute.' Had Gaara always been fascinated with plants? Did he always hesitate before saying thank you with a small frown on his face? Did he always look down at his feet when handing out a present?

The more they traveled through the forest, the more Temari wanted to stop and ask. He was her brother. They lived in the same house. They had trained as a team for years now.

Yet, she knew almost nothing about him. His likes and dislikes. His hobbies. What he did when he was alone.

As long as she could remember, her father had warned her and Kankuro to stay away from Gaara. She had grown up believing that their youngest sibling was dangerous, crazed, and possessed. Watching his behavior and the various incidents in the village only solidified that belief. Gaara _was _dangerous. Gaara _was _crazed. Gaara _was _possessed.

_Or maybe Gaara is more than what our father says._

With all the thoughts running around her mind, Temari almost didn't notice when Baki called for a break.

They stopped at a forest clearing, the sun only beginning to set over the horizon. Temari looked around the area. Based on the familiar topography, they were likely close to the desert, only a day's journey back to Suna.

Back on the ground, Kankuro grumbled, complaining about being tired and hungry. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Gaara, as always, stood alone, the gourd strapped to his back making him look unbelievably small.

"We will break here for the night," Baki ordered. "We will wake before dawn and head straight to Sunagakure. Starting tomorrow, we'll travel at night and make camp in the desert during the day. Any questions?"

Temari and Kankuro shook their heads, too tired to talk. Satisfied, they broke out into their normal tasks. Baki started a fire as Temari searched for firewood and Kankuro prepared dinner. Gaara, as usual, went to sit by himself under the shade of a tree.

As she collected firewood, Temari couldn't stop looking at Gaara from the corner of her eye.

He was leaning against the trunk of a tree, staring up at the canopy, an indifferent expression on his face. Yet, after Temari had seen him in Shisen, it was impossible to view that expression as 'normal' anymore. Was she imagining the look of loneliness in his eyes?

_He's my little brother but I never treat him like it._

Before she lost her nerve, she dropped the firewood next to Baki and walked toward her youngest brother. With no plan for what to say, Temari stood in front of him, staring down at him, stiff, awkward, and silent.

"What is it, Temari?" Unlike at Shisen, Gaara's voice was as cold and serious as she was used to. He blinked up at her with emotionless eyes.

_He trusts me less than some stranger we escorted across the desert._ The realization made her feel sadder than she had expected.

Temari considered running away from the little boy in front of her. But she wasn't a _complete _coward so she bit her lip and swallowed instead. "I-I liked the flower vase you made for Yuda-san."

The tension broke and Gaara looked up at her, eyes widening slightly. Temari met his eyes, forcing herself not to flinch away, wanting Gaara to see the truth in her statement.

He must have realized she was being honest because a small frown appeared on his face and he looked away. "Thank you."

"I-it was very beautiful," she continued. She found that after the first sentence, it was easier to keep going. "D-did you make it with the sand?"

Gaara hesitated for a second before nodding. He began to fidget with the hem of his travel cloak. To her relief, the large gourd next to him sat still, the sand under control.

"I compacted it to make a vase first," he said in a low voice, still keeping his eyes facing away from her. "Then I added the decorations later. I wanted it to look like a landscape from the desert."

"Did you have a particular landscape in mind?" Realizing she was towering over him, she squatted down to see him eye to eye.

However, instead of reassuring Gaara, it seemed to have the opposite effect. His frown deepened and he stared into the distance, almost looking intimidated. He swallowed, still refusing to meet her eyes.

"I carved different species on the side of the vase," he answered. "Some of the ones we talked about on the journey."

"I didn't know you liked art so much," Temari continued. "You're really good at it."

Gaara seemed, if anything, more lost than before. He gave a noncommittal shrug, still faced away from her. Despite his clear discomfort, the sand remained calm and obedient in its container.

"Thank you," he finally managed to say.

"So are you two over here talking about art?"

Right as Temari had run out of things to say, Kankuro appeared. His face was nonchalant as he collapsed on the grass next to her. He lounged back with a sigh before turning his attention toward his siblings.

"Huh? What? What are you two staring at me so weird for?" Kankuro grumbled. He raised an eyebrow as if friendly conversations between the three of them were in any way normal.

Temari shook her head, amazed at both of her brothers' abilities to mess with her perceptions of reality. "What would _you _know about art anyway, Kankuro?" she asked, allowing a hint of impatience to enter her voice.

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "I make puppets." As if that explained everything.

Temari pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Puppets aren't art."

"Yes, they are!"

"No, they're not!"

"Yes, they are!"

"No. They're. Not!"

"Yeah-huh"

"Nuh-uh"

"Yeah-huh" Kankuro crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring at her stubbornly.

It was Temari's turn to roll her eyes. She looked back at Gaara, who was staring at their brief argument with a confused frown on his face.

"Hey, Gaara," she began.

"What is it?" His face became calm and serious, staring at her expressionlessly once more.

Temari bit her lip as she hesitated thinking about how to ask her next question. She wanted to know more about the boy in front of her. Not as a weapon of the village, but as a person. _As my brother._

"Do you want to help me gather firewood?"

Gaara's expression, which had been so carefully controlled since leaving Shisen, transformed into something she had never seen before. His face glowed red and his eyes began to shimmer as he looked down at the ground. He bit his lip, the small frown on his face changing into a pained grimace. The sand inside the gourd swished back and forth, but for the first time that Temari could remember, it didn't sound quite so angry.

After what felt like hours, Gaara nodded. "Sure."

An invitation to do chores shouldn't have made Temari feel so guilty.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara was starting to wonder if he was stuck in a dream.

His team had left Shisen at the crack of dawn to maximize their travel time back to Suna. Despite the hour, Yuda and his family had risen early, yawning as they said goodbye. Still unsure how to react to their open kindness, Gaara had handed over the flower vase he had made, unable to meet their eyes.

The family had accepted the present with awe, gushing about the desert landscape engraved on the sides. With a final respectful bow, their team had left with only a glance back.

As they climbed out of the canyon, Gaara had considered turning around and begging Yuda and his family to stay with them. He refrained. The Kazekage would simply hunt him down, possibly destroying the village and killing Yuda's family in his search.

As much as he wanted to leave Sunagakure, Gaara would have to wait. He could never come back to Shisen, at least, not for many many more years after his father was dead.

Resigned to his fate, Gaara had expected his life as a monster and a weapon to resume. But instead, his life had only gotten stranger.

Temari and Kankuro had started talking to him. Not because they had to but because, apparently, they wanted to. It was the most perplexing thing that had ever happened in Gaara's young life. Even talking to eight other people in his mind paled in comparison.

For the first time in his life, he was asked to help collect firewood or set the shelters or cook the food. It was the kind of grunt work he had never been asked or expected to do before.

Yet, Gaara couldn't help but admit that after getting over the initial awkwardness, it was kind of nice. It made the two-day journey back to Sunagakure pass faster than he had expected. Even Shukaku was quieter, his voice easier to ignore with the pleasant buzzing in his stomach.

He should have known that the village and his father would find a way to ruin it eventually.

Despite traveling as quickly as possible, they arrived over half a day later than planned. Exhausted, they passed through the gates shortly after sunrise.

At his sides, Temari and Kankuro were yawning after traveling with so few breaks. Even Baki looked more tired than usual, bags visible under his one eye.

Gaara could feel the exhaustion building inside of him as well. While he couldn't sleep, meditating and resting always helped replenish his energy. He also wanted to join the Room, if only for a full break from Shukaku. If he got lucky, perhaps he would talk with Killer B, Yugito, or Utakata. They tended to spend time together in the morning while the others were busy with their day to day lives.

"We have to make our report to the Kazekage first," Baki said, suppressing a yawn. "Especially after arriving later than planned."

Kankuro and Temari groaned in annoyance. Gaara allowed a sigh to escape his lips, the only show of exasperation. Together, they ran to the main office, eager to finish their mission and return home as quickly as possible.

As always, Gaara steadied himself with a deep breath and clenched his fists before walking into the Kazekage's office. Standing in front of that man with his composure intact was impossible otherwise. Steady, he walked inside behind Temari and Kankuro.

Despite the early hour, the Kazekage was wide awake and alert. His cold eyes scanned over his team, deeming them safe and unharmed. Gaara bit his tongue to keep his face as neutral as possible. No matter how many reports he had made in the man's room, he could never get rid of the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed, hoping the man wouldn't notice.

Without waiting any longer, Baki began the mission debriefing. Gaara half-listened along. In the end, it had been unremarkable. The client had gotten to his destination in one piece and there had been no calamities along the way. They had been paid the agreed-upon amount and arrived at Shisen on schedule. Other than returning later than planned, it had been a perfect mission.

With their tale told, Gaara's team stood silent, waiting for permission to go home.

To his relief, the Kazekage nodded at the end of Baki's recollection. "You are dismissed." Without preamble, they turned around to leave. "Except you, Gaara. You need to stay."

Gaara's eyes widened and he saw Kankuro and Temari glance back, a questioning look on their faces.

"I need to speak to you about something," the Kazekage continued, waving for Baki and the others to leave. "Regarding your mission and future responsibilities."

Gaara hesitated for a second, wondering if he should try to leave anyway. But he couldn't do anything; in front of that man, he had no power. Reluctantly, he turned around and walked forward, the desk the only separation between them.

His team closed the door behind them and they were alone in the office. In the back of his mind, Gaara wondered what his team's faces looked like as they left the office. Were they worried about him?

Gaara's heart was beating faster in his chest, but he forced the familiar mask of tranquility to settle over his features. He stared at the man in front of him, waiting.

"Gaara."

"Rasa."

The Kazekage frowned but didn't correct him. Gaara felt a small and petty twinge of victory.

Being referred to by his given name by his own son must have annoyed him. But it was the only name Gaara could stomach using for the man sitting in front of him. Calling him 'Kazekage-sama' made him nauseous and calling him 'father' might actually make him vomit.

"You have obtained control over your sand," the man said. It wasn't a question.

Gaara said nothing and nodded instead. He never talked in the Kazekage's presence unless he had to.

"You didn't kill the client."

He still refused to react.

"The mission was completed successfully without any casualties."

Gaara met the Kazekage's eyes unflinchingly. Despite trying to remain collected, the man's cold glare made him feel naked and vulnerable.

"You finally managed to pass one of my tests."

Gaara tilted his head to the side. "Test?" He clenched a hand into a fist. He was tired of the man's tests.

'_**You should kill him,' **_Shukaku whispered in his subconscious.

For once, Gaara agreed with the beast. He forced himself not to nod in agreement.

"The escort mission was a test to see if you could control your urges," the Kazekage explained with the same angry and disappointed tone he used for everything. "I wanted to see if you could control your impulse to kill others. I'm glad to see that you can."

"What if I hadn't been able to?" His heart began beating faster and he forced the sand in the gourd not to react.

The Kazekage shrugged. "It wouldn't have been a big loss," he stated. "The man you escorted was a nobody. His death would have meant nothing. Even the destruction of his village would have meant nothing."

_Nothing?_ The sand inside the gourd swished back and forth in fury. Inside his mind, Shukaku cackled, happy to absorb some of Gaara's negative emotions.

Gaara crossed his arms in front of his chest and bit his tongue to suppress as much of his emotions as he could. Yet, it was obvious the Kazekage could read his expression perfectly. Still, the man didn't comment on it.

"Now that I know you can control your impulses, I think it's time to hone more of your skills," he continued.

"What skills?" Gaara felt his body shake and he heard the sand crash against the walls of the gourd. He swallowed, his composure increasingly difficult to maintain.

"You need more training."

"I already train a lot," Gaara lied. In truth, Baki trained almost exclusively with Temari and Kankuro. With him, they only practiced the occasional team drill.

The Kazekage nodded before turning to look down at him once more. "Yes, I know. But there is something you need to learn."

"What's that?"

"How to control the Ichibi."

A wave of nausea hit Gaara. Despite all the practice controlling his emotions, he shuddered. "Control the Ichibi?"

The Kazekage nodded. "Yes, and I will be the one to train you on how."

Gaara wasn't sure how he managed not to vomit at that announcement.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Iruka kept a close eye on Sasuke for the first week back, looking for any signs of distress.

After hearing about the Uchiha Massacre, Iruka had been unsure how Sasuke would act in class upon returning to school. Weeping? Fury? Disassociation? He was ready for any of those. What he had gotten instead was Sasuke befriending Naruto and Hinata.

His friendship with Naruto boggled the imagination. They were almost complete opposites in everything. Other than during their sparring matches, they never exchanged as much as a single word to each other. If anything, Iruka had gotten the impression that they hated each other.

His relationship with Hinata at least made _some _sense. She was the heiress to a clan of doujutsu users and a promising kunoichi despite her shyness. She also never followed Sasuke around like most of the other girls in the class.

Yet, Iruka got the impression that Naruto was considered the closer friend. They tended to talk more to each other and Sasuke actually seemed calmer and happier when in his presence.

Apart from the unusual friendship, however, Sasuke had yet to show any signs of unraveling. He was quieter and more sullen than before, but not to the extent Iruka had expected.

Iruka assumed that someone had been put in charge of the boy's mental health following the massacre. Perhaps someone from the Yamanaka clan. That was the only thing that made sense.

Despite everyone's confusion over the unlikely friendship, Iruka tried to teach as usual. He lectured, gave detention, and assigned homework. By Friday, their relationship was almost an afterthought in the classroom's dynamics and Sasuke had yet to break down.

Still, Iruka needed to make sure the boy knew that he could ask for help if necessary. They needed to talk.

"Sasuke, can you stay behind, please? I wish to speak to you."

As Sasuke was headed out the door, Naruto and Hinata at his sides, he paused and glanced back. He wore a confused frown, echoed on the faces of his two companions.

"What is it, Iruka?" The boy turned around, hands in pockets.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto muttered, shoving an elbow into Sasuke's ribcage.

"Iruka-sensei," Sasuke corrected himself. Somehow, the use of an honorific sounded more offensive than just using his name.

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed, annoyed, while Hinata smiled in amusement. Iruka shook his head. _Have they really become friends?_

"I just wanted to talk to you about something," Iruka said. "It won't take long. Maybe a few minutes."

Sasuke groaned before turning to his companions. "I'll meet you two at the gate," he ordered.

The two other children nodded, glancing up at Iruka curiously, before walking out and gently sliding the door closed behind them. Alone with Iruka, Sasuke walked towards his desk, hands in pockets, full of impatience.

For a few seconds, they stared at each other in silence.

Not wanting to beat around the bush or waste the boy's time, Iruka began. "I know about what happened with your family, Sasuke."

"Hn." As expected, Sasuke tensed. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and looked away, glaring at the wall with a grimace. He turned his body away from Iruka, on the cusp of running away.

Despite the boy's clear reluctance, Iruka continued. "I just want you to know that I know what it's like to lose your parents. My mother and father died in the Kyuubi attack. It took me a long time to make sense of the world after their deaths."

To Iruka's relief, the tension in Sasuke's shoulders relaxed marginally. Still, he did not speak and he refused to meet Iruka's eyes.

"If you need help, I'll be here for you, Sasuke. So don't be afraid to ask for it."

"Help?" Sasuke's grimace deepened.

Iruka nodded. "Yes. Whatever you might need. You can trust me."

Finally, Sasuke turned from glaring at the wall to glaring at Iruka instead. "Why should I trust you?" he asked.

Iruka blinked. "W-why?" He swallowed and scratched his nose. "I mean, I guess I'm just trying to make sure you can live on your own. I know how hard it is from experience."

"Did you ever make Naruto the same offer?" The boy's glower only deepened further. His jaw was clenched and his body began to shake in anger.

"N-Naruto? What does Naruto have to do with anything? I know he's your friend now but-"

Sasuke shook his head vehemently. "Naruto has never had parents and he's always lived alone but you _never _asked him if he needs help!"

Before Iruka had a chance to reply, Sasuke ran out, slamming the door shut behind him. For a few seconds, the only thing Iruka could do was gape at the closed door. He gripped the edge of his desk before collapsing onto his chair.

Iruka sat at his desk, guilt twisting his stomach into knots. He buried his head into his hands, looking down at his lap. He tried to think of a reason, a _real _reason, why he had never offered Naruto any help. His mind drew a blank.

Did Naruto live alone? And how long had he lived alone? How old was he, anyway?

Hands clenched into fists, Iruka lifted his gaze up to stare at the pile of homework on top of his desk. Despite being a rookie teacher, he had considered himself a good one, if only for treating all his students as equally as possible.

But equal wasn't always fair.

Ashamed and looking for something to do, he opened the first notebook and began to grade.

**O-O-O-O-O**

After Sasuke's talk with Iruka, Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke went to their usual grounds to train. Yet, they could not practice because of Sasuke's mood.

For some reason, Sasuke was furious for the entire session. He missed opportunities to strike and he got hit by easily avoidable attacks. Whenever Naruto and Hinata asked, however, he refused to reveal anything.

"What's wrong, jerk?" Naruto asked after the other boy failed to dodge an obvious punch to the face. "Are you giving up just like that?"

"Shut up, loser," Sasuke hissed, wincing as he wiped a bead of blood off his lip. "I'm just annoyed. Let's go again. I'll defeat you next round."

Despite his words, Sasuke lost the next match and the one after that. Even when they switched from sparring to kunai practice, his aim was inaccurate and his throws weak.

Yet, no matter how much Naruto and Hinata asked, Sasuke refused to reveal anything about what Iruka had talked about. With Sasuke unfocused, their training session ended much earlier than usual. Hinata headed home, wishing them a good weekend with an uncertain smile before walking away.

With Hinata gone, Sasuke groaned before walking around the training area to gather his kunai collection. Naruto followed his lead, making sure not to leave any of his weapons behind. Alone with Sasuke, he tried once more to get him to open up.

"So what did Iruka-sensei tell you, anyway?" Naruto asked, inspecting a kunai for dents and damages. To his annoyance, it was slightly bent. He placed it into his weapons pouch, making a mental note to sharpen it later.

"Nothing important," Sasuke muttered. He picked up a kunai and placed it into his own weapons pouch without even looking at it.

"You don't have to lie to me," Naruto mumbled. "You can just say you don't wanna tell me, ya know."

Sasuke tensed but said nothing. An awkward silence settled over the two of them as they searched for any other weapons. When they completed the task, they left the training area, walking aimlessly in the same direction, still silent

"Fine, I don't want to tell you," Sasuke finally admitted. He refused to meet Naruto's eyes as he stared straight into the distance. "But it made me angry and it's not important and I don't want you to worry about it."

Naruto rolled his eyes, relieved. He punched Sasuke on the shoulder, earning an annoyed scowl from the other boy.

"Fine." He grinned. "It's not like I tell you _everything _about my life either, ya know."

"Hn."

Despite the annoyed grunt, Naruto saw a hint of a smile on Sasuke's lips. His own grin widened and he snorted, happy.

"Anyway, are we still gonna watch '_The Steel Samurai_' tomorrow morning?" he asked to change the topic.

Sasuke nodded. "Sure. Do you want to get something to eat later? We haven't had dinner together since we went back to school."

Naruto's eyes brightened as he rambled about the merits of eating at Ichiraku. He was almost at the point of convincing the other boy when they reached the end of the road. With a promise to make a dinner decision later, they separated and headed toward their own respective apartments.

Back home, Naruto dropped off his weapons pouch next to the door- a reminder to sharpen the kunai later. He headed to his bedroom and started to prepare his bag for the night.

Naruto shoved some pajamas into his backpack. He scrounged through his closet, pulling out clothes for the day after. Going down his mental checklist, he headed to the bathroom in search of his toothbrush and comb.

As he began to put his toiletries away, he was interrupted by a polite knock on the door. _ Sasuke? What's he doing here? I thought I was going to his place._

Confused, Naruto headed to the entrance.

"What is it, jerk?" he asked as he opened the door. "I thought I was-"

Before Naruto had a chance to finish his question, he was stopped dead in his tracks. He gaped up at the man standing at the door, eyes open wide in shock.

"Good afternoon, Naruto," Iruka said, a tentative smile on his face.

Lost for words, Naruto could only stare up at his teacher, trying to think of a good and compelling reason why he was there. He had never visited Naruto at home or asked about his life before. Disoriented, he blurted out the first thing he could think of.

"I didn't do it!" he shouted, despite not being accused of anything.

Iruka crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't do what?"

Naruto swallowed and he gaped up at the man, unsure of how to respond. "I don't know! But I didn't do it, ya know!"

Iruka sighed as he uncrossed his arms, trying to look more relaxed. "I didn't come here to accuse you of anything, Naruto," he said, scratching his nose. "I just wanted to talk with you for a bit. May I come in?"

Naruto blinked and tilted his head to the side. _Iruka-sensei is being weird._

Tentatively, he nodded and took a step back, giving Iruka access to his apartment. Grateful, his teacher took his shoes off at the door before entering, glancing around the main room.

Naruto shifted, uncomfortable. The only other people who had ever been in his home were Sasuke and the Hokage. However, Sasuke was Sasuke and the old man only came to drop off his allowance and ask a few questions. He wondered what Iruka thought of his home. _Does he think it's ugly?_

They stood in silence, Iruka looking around while Naruto fidgeted.

"Your apartment is a lot neater than I expected," Iruka finally said, sounding impressed. "I remember mine was a mess when I was first living alone. Actually, it's still mostly a mess." He chuckled to himself.

_Neater?_ Naruto looked around his apartment. Other than a few dirty dishes in the sink and a window that needed a good scrubbing, he supposed it _was _well-kept.

After all, cleaning his apartment was much better than practicing kanji with Utakata. The last time he had refused to sweep the floor, Utakata had forced him to write the character for 'rose' a hundred times over. With thirty-two strokes, it had taken him almost the entire night to finish. He never wanted a repeat of that experience in his life.

"I... uh... I try, Iruka-sensei," Naruto mumbled. He looked down at his feet.

"Oh, you have some pictures." Iruka walked toward the wall connecting the main living area to his bedroom.

Naruto joined Iruka's side. He had framed some of the pictures Sasuke's mother had gifted him long ago. He also had a few he and Sasuke had taken, though those were of much lower quality. It turned out using a camera was more difficult than either of them had expected.

Naruto grunted in assent, unsure of how else to respond.

"Who's the woman in the picture?"

Naruto looked up to meet his teacher's gaze. Iruka was pointing at one of the photos with Sasuke's mother. In it, she was smiling as she carefully cut his birthday cake into equal slices.

"That's Auntie," Naruto answered, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "Sasuke's mom."

"Sasuke's mother?" Iruka's eyes widened as he stared down at Naruto. "You knew Sasuke's mother?"

Naruto nodded again. "Yeah, she threw me a party for my birthday last year, ya know." He scratched the back of his neck, abashed. The experience still brought back positive memories, despite the woman's death.

"B-birthday party?" He stared down at Naruto, one eyebrow raised in confusion. "She threw _you _a birthday party?"

Naruto frowned, getting annoyed. "Yeah, what's the problem?"

Iruka cleared his throat. "Oh, sorry, no, there's no problem," he muttered, scratching the tip of his nose. "I was just... surprised. The Uchiha clan doesn't- didn't talk much to people outside of their compound."

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. She and Uchiha-san were very nice to me, though."

"Uchiha-san?"

"Sasuke's dad."

A memory of the man's face after Sasuke had shown off the Great Fireball Jutsu burst into his mind. He placed a hand over his heart. Sasuke's father might have been strict and serious, but he had never sensed anything evil about him. If anything, he kind of reminded Naruto of Yugito.

An awkward silence settled over the two of them once more as Iruka turned his attention back to the rest of the pictures on the wall. Naruto shifted in place again, his impatience growing. _I should be going to Sasuke's apartment now, ya know!_

"So what did you want to talk to me about, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked after a few minutes to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Oh, yes, well, I... uh..." Iruka scratched the tip of his nose. He cleared his throat again before gesturing to the table. "Want to sit down, Naruto?"

"Sure?" He shrugged.

They headed toward the dining table, sitting at chairs opposite each other.

Iruka cleared his throat again. "I wanted to talk to you about the exams you missed," he began.

"Oh." Naruto felt the blood leave his face.

After the summer vacation and their return to school, he had forgotten about the exams he had skipped out on. He stared down at his lap, his hands clenched into tight fists under the table's surface.

"We never really talked about it in detail," Iruka continued.

Naruto winced and bit his lip, waiting for the inevitable reprimand.

"And I think I haven't been as fair or as helpful to you as I'd like. So for that, I'm sorry."

Naruto blinked. He looked up from his lap. Iruka had bowed his head down slightly in apology, hands on his knees.

"Huh?"

"I should have seen how you were struggling and tried to help you," his teacher continued, his head still bowed. "I had the opportunity to do so during the summer and during the first week back, but I didn't. Even before that, I should have made sure you were doing well living on your own."

"Oh, uh, thank you?" Naruto shifted in his seat, unsure of how else to respond.

To his relief, Iruka lifted his head and stared down at Naruto. "I want to give you a chance to make up for the exams you missed, Naruto."

"Chance to make up?" Naruto's heart began beating faster in his chest.

Iruka nodded. "Yes, I can't let you take them _now_," he said. "But I can give you a chance for extra credit. I want you to stay after class for the next week. If you can finish some extra assignments, I'll give you an extra boost. It won't replace your missing grades, but it will be enough to continue to the next year as long as you pass all the other exams."

Naruto stood up and slammed his hands on top of the table. "Wait, really, Iruka-sensei?" He felt himself start to vibrate with excitement. "Just gotta do some assignments for extra credit?" It seemed almost too good to be true.

Iruka nodded again. "They have to be done correctly, though. No rushing through it."

"Yes, sensei!" Naruto chuckled, bowing his head down in thanks. "I'll do it right, ya know!"

Iruka returned his gesture with a kind smile that actually reached his eyes. "I'm glad you agree."

Naruto grinned, thankful. With their agreement made, Iruka hummed to himself before standing up from the table. "Well, I think I'll leave now. You had plans with Sasuke, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, to get dinner later."

Iruka walked toward the entrance and began to put his shoes back on. "In that case, I'll see you on Monday, Naruto."

Naruto opened the door for him. "See you on Monday, Iruka-sensei." He grinned again.

Iruka began to exit before stopping at the door and clearing his throat. "Oh, and Naruto?" Naruto tilted his head to the side. "If you ever need anything, even if it's not about school, don't be afraid to ask me for help, okay?"

Naruto felt his face heat up. Other than Sasuke's parents, no one other than the jinchuuriki had ever explicitly offered to help him. "Oh, uh, sure, sensei," he mumbled. "Thank you."

Iruka hummed to himself, waving goodbye before leaving. Naruto stared at the closed door, wondering why his teacher had decided to check in on him out of nowhere. _Does it have something to do with why Sasuke was so mad today?_

He shook his head to break the trance. He still had to finish packing and he needed to say goodbye to his mother. He ran back to his bedroom, not wanting to make Sasuke wait longer than he already had.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Took you long enough, loser." Upon hearing Naruto's characteristic pounding on the door, Sasuke opened it to let the other boy in.

Panting heavily, Naruto entered, throwing his backpack down on the floor. "Sorry, jerk. Something happened!"

"Something?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Together, they headed toward the sofa and collapsed there, side by side, as Naruto got his breath under control.

"Iruka-sensei came to my apartment, ya know."

Sasuke tensed and his annoyance from earlier returned. "What did he want?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as cool and collected as usual. He could tell he failed, however, because Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"He wanted to talk to me about the exams from before the summer break. Since I didn't take any of them."

"Wait, what?" Sasuke spun toward him, a grimace on his face. "What do you mean you didn't take _any _of them? Didn't you tell me you did fine on the last one?"

Naruto blanched and he turned his face away. "Oh, yeah, I did, didn't I?" He swallowed and started to rub the back of his neck. "I didn't wanna make you worry, jerk. I was gonna get a good score on the finals to make up for it, ya know."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "As if _you _could get a good enough score to make up for _three _missing exams."

Naruto punched him on the arm. "Anyway, Iruka-sensei said he's gonna give me assignments to make up for it after school. So I won't be able to train with you and Hinata-chan next week."

Sasuke punched him back. "As if we need you."

Naruto huffed. "Did you talk to Iruka-sensei about me or something? Cause he just showed up at my door, ya know."

Sasuke crossed his arms and turned his face away. "So what if I did?" He glared at the kitchen wall. His heart was beating faster in his chest in a combination of anger and mild embarrassment.

Silence fell over both of them as they tried to get their thoughts in order. Finally, Naruto spoke.

"Thank you, Sasuke."

Sasuke turned to look back at Naruto. His sky-blue eyes met his unflinchingly, a smile on his face.

"You're welcome, loser," he mumbled.

Naruto sighed before standing up, stretching his arms over his head. "Wanna eat at Ichiraku?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Why not?"

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Kankuro is right. Puppets ARE art.**

**Also! I got some fanart! Yay! One is a commission of Kasumi and one is of Mama Roshi. **

**Unfortunately, FFN hates hyperlinks and links to external websites, so if you wanna see it, I HIGHLY recommend going to my account on Archive of Our Own. I also interact much more often on Archive of Our Own and am much, much more likely to reply to your comments there.**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites and on Discord.**

**Thank you so much to Morket for helping me beta this chapter! Your help is always super helpful.**

**Next chapter: a fight. **

**(Just a fair warning that it might take a while. The next chapter is currently kicking my ass.)**


	36. A Leg to Stand On

**In which Yagura makes puns and dirty jokes.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Five months of near-total isolation were starting to get to Roshi.

In his search for Orochimaru, he had spent his days trying to catch the Sannin's attention. From the time he woke up in the morning to when he went to bed, he used lava release as much as possible. While it had been fun at first to play with lava, after a while, it became boring to watch rocks melt.

Were it not for the Room and Son Goku, Roshi would have already run away to a beach resort in the Land of Tea.

Every night in the Room, he talked to the other jinchuuriki, making sure to report his exact location to the others. After all, while he had the power of Son Goku, Orochimaru was a strong opponent and a vicious threat. It never hurt to have backup.

Frustrated, Roshi kicked a rock, making a sizable crack in it. _It's been five months and the most interesting thing that's happened so far is seeing a mother bear and her cubs._

'_**At least you're not chained up in a disgusting human.'**_

Roshi frowned but said nothing in response. He moved through the hand signs as quickly as possible before spitting out a small ball of lava. It hit the rock, melting it completely. He stood close to the warmth, pleasant in the early winter chill.

'_I know, Son. Do you think there is a way to change the seal?'_

'_**You could always just set me free.'**_

Despite the words, Roshi could tell it wasn't a serious suggestion. Not anymore. The bijuu still hated his confinement and whined about it constantly. However, considering Roshi's life would be the price for Son Goku's freedom, there was nothing either of them could do about it.

'_Give me at least twenty more years.' _Roshi retorted. _'I'd like to see the children grow up at least.'_

The monkey king snorted. _**'You are the most maternal person I have ever met, Roshi. Are you going to start pestering them to give you grandkids next?'**_

Roshi chuckled, his laughter echoing in the sparsely-wooded mountains. _'Perhaps I will. Their children would probably be cute.'_

He stretched his arms over his head and sighed in contentment. When his back let out a satisfying crack, he bent forward, placing the palms of his hands flat on the thin layer of snow. Relaxed, he stood up and glanced over the horizon, thinking about what he should do next. There were only so many rocks he could melt before he started to get bored again.

"You sure look like you're having fun."

Roshi spun around, his arms already in front of his face in a defensive taijutsu stance. While he was not a sensor, it had been years if not decades since anyone had managed to sneak up on him. With the thin layer of crunchy snow covering the land, catching him off guard should have been nearly impossible.

He grimaced and sank deeper into his stance when he saw who had managed to catch him off guard.

"Orochimaru," Roshi said through gritted teeth.

The enemy's smirk widened. "So you have heard of me? I see my reputation precedes me."

Roshi grunted in confirmation. The Legendary Sannin in front of him looked as young as he had in the picture taken over a decade ago. Aside from the arrogant leer, his face was unreal, as perfectly proportioned as a doll's face and just as inhuman.

However, the strange and ethereal creepiness was barely a footnote compared to what the other shinobi was wearing. Black cloak. Red clouds. A chin-high collar. _What are the odds? He's in that group, too._

"What do you want with me?" Roshi shouted.

In the back of his mind, he heard Son Goku growling with suppressed rage.

Orochimaru laughed, the sound high-pitched, cold and cruel. "Sasori has been looking for you," he said in an almost teasing tone. "He might get a little jealous when I'm the one that turns you in instead."

Roshi felt a shiver roll down his back. "What do you want from me?" he repeated, angrier and louder than before.

Orochimaru tilted his head to the side, the same mocking leer pasted on his face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He struck.

Roshi somersaulted back, using his chakra to stick to the trunk of a nearby tree, crouching in a guarded stance. Despite avoiding the attack, he got the impression the enemy was only toying with him. _He's underestimating me._

Roshi let out a deep breath and glared at Orochimaru, his pulse beating loudly in his ears. He waited for the enemy to act again, but Orochimaru seemed to be waiting for Roshi's reaction.

'_Son. Change of plans.'_

'_**What do you need, Roshi?'**_

'_Can you contact the others for me? I don't think I can deal with him alone anymore. Not if I want to get any information out of the fucker, at least.'_

Son Goku grumbled something about being treated as a messenger boy before disappearing. Roshi ignored him with the ease of long practice.

He kept his eyes focused on the other shinobi, who stood at the edge of a cliff with the same uncanny smirk on his face. Roshi dropped down to the ground in a defensive crouch.

He waited, refusing to blink as he stared at the enemy in front of him. Still, Orochimaru did not attack.

The original plan had been for Roshi to eliminate Orochimaru alone. Han and Yugito's team were nearby only for backup. However, with the knowledge that Orochimaru was part of that organization, killing him was no longer the solution.

Roshi had to capture Orochimaru alive.

What Roshi had hoped would be a simple mission with a large reward was turning into a pain in the ass. But there was nothing else to do but distract the enemy until the others arrived.

Roshi gritted his teeth and jumped forward with an angry roar.

Orochimaru was ready. He widened his stance, waiting for Roshi's blow to connect. But instead of attacking, Roshi jumped overhead, landing a short distance behind the enemy.

Without looking back and taking advantage of Orochimaru's temporary defensiveness, Roshi ran down the mountain into the thick forest.

Based on their conversations through the Room, he had a general idea of where Yugito's team was located. After Son Goku spread his message with the help of the other bijuu, they would undoubtedly want to meet in the middle.

He glanced back and found that Orochimaru was already close at his heels, an entertained sneer on his face. Just like Roshi, the snake Sannin was not using his full powers yet.

Roshi frowned. He needed to meet with the others as quickly as he could. _I just hope he keeps underestimating me until I can._

**O-O-O-O-O**

'_**Yugito-chan.'**_

Matatabi's voice broke Yugito out of her reverie as she was descaling fish next to the river. A ball of worry wormed into her stomach but she forced her hands to keep moving. Based on the bijuu's concerned tone, she could tell something had happened to Roshi.

She glanced up to look at Han, leaning against a tree.

As expected, his back was straight and he stared off into space. Obviously, he was also receiving some sort of message from Kokuo.

He turned his gaze down and gave her an almost imperceptible nod. She turned to C next- Darui had been left behind with Yagura to protect Shiokaze- but the man was playing with a deck of cards and did not see their shared look.

She forced her body not to react. C knew Roshi and Han had some sort of way to communicate long-distance through fuuinjutsu. However, she couldn't reveal her own ability to talk to him. Not unless she wanted to have a very long and painful talk with Torture and Interrogation back in Kumo.

Yugito turned her focus back to the bijuu trying to speak to her. She scratched the scales off the fish, harder than strictly necessary.

'_What is it, Matatabi?'_

'_**Son Goku got in contact with me. Roshi-kun wants all of you to go there for assistance. He said something about what Orochimaru is wearing.'**_

'_Wearing? Why is it important to know what Orochimaru is wearing?'_

'_**I don't know,' **_the bijuu admitted. _**'Goku-kun wasn't specific about it. But it's apparently quite important.'**_

Yugito suppressed the groan that was threatening to burst out of her lips. _Why does Roshi want us to meet with him so badly? And why are his clothes so important?_

Impatient, she gutted the fish and placed it on a flat rock next to her. To her relief, she didn't have to wait any longer for Han to stand up and call attention to himself.

"I received a message from Roshi," the man announced. "Orochimaru has found him. We must hurry."

At once, C stood up and walked to stand in front of Han. After more than five months of waiting for Orochimaru to show, he was ready to fight within seconds.

"Is Roshi coming toward us?" C asked, placing the deck of cards into his weapons pouch.

Han nodded. "Yes. We will meet him halfway."

Without waiting any longer, Han leaped up into the tree canopy and began to run. C and Yugito followed after him.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed C closing his eyes, concentrating on tracking down Roshi's chakra signature. Despite having his eyes closed, he didn't miss a single step as he leaped from branch to branch.

Yugito bit her tongue. She kept her gaze focused on Han's broad back, leading the way.

While Han seemed calm and collected, Yugito couldn't help but worry.

Roshi was a strong man. He was skilled and talented with a decent understanding of how to work with the Four-tails.

Yet, Orochimaru was a legendary ninja for a reason. He was not someone to take lightly.

She bit her tongue hard enough to taste a hint of blood. _Please, stay safe, Roshi-san._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Roshi glared at the person leering at him, his own teeth bared in annoyance.

At some point, Orochimaru had gotten tired of the chasing game. Since then, Roshi had been unable to run away for long without the Sannin cutting him off and blocking his exit. Resigned, Roshi had readied himself for a long fight as he waited for the others to arrive.

To his relief, Orochimaru continued to underestimate him and Roshi had managed to get in a few minor hits. Yet, despite burning the sleeve of Orochimaru's cloak with lava release and punching him in the stomach, the mocking leer on the enemy's face never left.

Their game of cat and mouse was nowhere close to done and Son Goku was growing impatient. Roshi almost allowed his bijuu to take over, if only to give the Sannin something to truly laugh about.

Soon after Son Goku had passed on his message, Yagura had appeared through the Room's connection. Since then, the other man had kept a running commentary on events, facilitating communication with Han and Yugito. Unfortunately, he was also subjecting Roshi to his weird sense of humor.

'_Han should be there soon. Yugito and that kid C are with him,' _Yagura announced in his mind. _'Han can never come quick enough for my taste.'_

'_That's good to know.'_ Roshi grunted his assent.

He leaped away, avoiding a hissing snake that the Sannin had conjured out of his sleeve.

'_Better not take too long,'_ Roshi added. _'I don't think I can keep distracting him for much longer. Son Goku is screaming to be let out.'_

He ran toward the Sannin, arm extended out for a punch. Orochimaru dodged easily but Roshi was ready. He pivoted on his left foot, swinging around to kick the Sannin with his right.

His strike made contact with his opponent's face, a loud, satisfying crack signifying something had broken. Roshi let out a triumphant whoop as Orochimaru's body flew through the air and disappeared somewhere into the dark forest.

Roshi took the opportunity until the Sannin returned to get his breath back under control. Considering the sun had entirely fallen beyond the horizon, he guessed they had been fighting for an hour at that point. Unless he started to use some of Son Goku's chakra, he could not keep going for much longer.

'_Are you all right, Roshi?' _Yagura asked, sounding completely unconcerned. After all, no one was taking the fight seriously yet.

Panting, Roshi nodded. _'Yeah, just starting to get tired. I might have to ask Son for help soon, though. I can't believe the fucker is still not finished.'_

'_Some people need more time to finish than others.' _Yagura's voice was too full of amusement for Roshi's liking. He was no doubt making a dirty joke but Roshi had no time to make sense of it.

'_What are you-'_

'_Oh, he's back already.'_

Before Roshi could reply, Orochimaru emerged from the underbrush. Roshi turned toward him, arms raised in front of him, his legs sinking into a wide defensive stance.

To his dismay, the Sannin looked completely unharmed and he wore the same creepy leer from before. The only remaining evidence of Roshi's blow was a small spot of blood on his chin.

Roshi sighed. _What the fuck do I have to do until he stays down?_

"You know, I might have to start taking this seriously," Orochimaru said in the same creepy tone. "It's about time for this to end, don't you think?"

Roshi said nothing, staring into Orochimaru's eyes and waiting for his reaction. If the Sannin was going to take the battle seriously, then he would have to as well and let Son Goku out. _I just hope I don't kill him by accident._

Orochimaru jumped forward, spitting out a sword in a way that made Roshi's stomach turn over in disgust. Teeth gritted, Roshi stood his ground, waiting to dodge at the last second.

Orochimaru leaped through the air, a sickening grin on his face as the sword stuck out of his mouth. Before he could impale Roshi, however, a giant flash of black and red stopped him in his track.

The newcomer kicked Orochimaru in the face, sending the Sannin flying away.

Unlike earlier, Orochimaru grunted in pain as he disappeared into the darkness. Roshi heard the satisfying thud of a body crashing against something hard, shortly followed by the tell-tale sound of a tree falling.

'_Finally.'_

'_So Han can finish people off but you can't?'_ Roshi could imagine Yagura shaking his head in mock annoyance.

'_Shut the fuck up.'_ Roshi took the break from fighting to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

Finished with his attack, Han jumped to Roshi's side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Did you die?" His voice was too relaxed for Roshi's liking.

Roshi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Nope. I'm gonna live forever, don't you know?"

"Are you all right, Roshi-san?" Yugito appeared on his other side. Unlike Han and Yagura, her voice was full of genuine concern.

Roshi turned to look at her. There was a tiny frown on her face and she was staring him up and down, looking for injuries. But he had nothing but a few scratches that were already healing thanks to Son Goku's help.

Roshi shook his head. "I'm fine, Yugito-san. Our fight has just been going on for a while. I'm only a little tired."

"Have you used-"

"No," Roshi cut her off with a shake of his head before her question was finished.

From the distance, Roshi heard what sounded like a giant tree creaking. Despite receiving a direct kick from Han, the enemy was already recovering. They needed to take their chance to make a plan before Orochimaru returned. Roshi rolled his shoulders back, hearing them crack.

"So why did you call for backup?" Yugito asked. "Is the Sannin really too strong for you to handle alone?"

"It's not an issue of strength," Roshi answered. "Did you see what he was wearing, Yugito-san?" He squinted into the darkness but he saw no movement.

Yugito shook her head. "I was following behind Han-san. And talking to C about him standing behind for support. What was so critical about it? Matatabi mentioned it, though."

"He's wearing a black cloak with red clouds embroidered on them, Yugito-san," Han answered. "It's from the organization that Ya-Kaito is trying to track."

"So we have to capture him alive, then." The tell-tale sound of Yugito's claws coming out echoed in the forest.

Roshi couldn't help but shiver. The sound was intimidating no matter the situation. _I'm just glad she's never threatened me with them._

"I don't think he saw me," she said. "I'll stay back and hopefully catch him by surprise. Do you think you can hold him off?"

"Of course," Han and Roshi grunted at the same time.

With a satisfied nod and a huff, Yugito leaped up into the forest canopy, disappearing amongst the leaves. Back on the ground, Han and Roshi stood side by side, sinking into defensive stances. Patiently, they waited for Orochimaru to return.

"Do you think we can get him to talk?" Han asked.

"I've been trying for the past hour or so. I doubt it."

The sound of footsteps from the forest told them Orochimaru was returning. As one, both Han and Roshi turned toward him.

Orochimaru appeared. To Roshi's joy, the mocking sneer was gone from his face and he glared at Han and Roshi in contempt. Unlike with Roshi's previous efforts, the effect of Han's kick was visible as a sizable bruise on his cheek.

"So you have called for backup?" Despite Orochimaru's attempts for a calm tone, his voice was dripping with barely-suppressed rage. "I don't think you will like me when I start taking this seriously." The sneer returned to his lips, but it was no longer as playful as it used to be.

"You know what?" Roshi muttered. "Neither will you."

In a rush, he felt Son Goku's chakra flood into his body and he heard a roar of joy from the monkey king in the back of his mind. He felt his fangs get slightly longer and he collapsed onto the ground in all fours. His world grew tinted in red and his pulse pounded in his ears.

At his side, he heard Han following his lead.

For the first time, Roshi thought he saw a hint of worry enter Orochimaru's eyes. However, before he could make sure, it disappeared and the enemy's smirk widened.

"It's my lucky day after all," the Sannin muttered, standing calm in front of the two men. "Two jinchuuriki in front of my very own eyes. I wonder what _he _will say when I bring back both of you."

"Are you working for Sasori, then?" Roshi asked.

Orochimaru scoffed, raising one eyebrow. "I don't work for anyone."

"Then what's with that cloak?" Han asked. "Your precious Sasori was wearing the same thing."

"This thing?" Orochimaru glanced down at the black cloak embroidered with red clouds. With a single sweep of his arm, he removed it, throwing it down to the ground and leaving him in a simpler grey outfit. "I have my own reasons. Not that you need to know."

"What do you want from us?" Han asked, his voice steady and calm despite the situation. "Are you looking for jinchuuriki?"

The Sannin laughed, still standing calm and collected in front of them. "I don't think I'm allowed to say."

The three of them stood tense, staring at each other and waiting for the other to make the opening play. No one dared move, the only sounds coming from the forest and the pulse of Kokuo and Son Goku's chakra.

They waited. Still, nobody moved.

'_**Let me rip off his leg,' **_Son Goku demanded in Roshi's head.

Roshi gave a mental shrug._ 'As you wish.'_

Without hesitating, he allowed the rest of Son Goku's chakra to flood his body. They had yet to practice full-body transformations in fear of injuring a sparring partner. But Orochimaru was not an ordinary opponent, and Son Goku had been demanding to be let out since the fight started.

The release felt cathartic as the frustrations from the last five months were finally pushed aside. With the chakra rushing through his body, Roshi marveled at how truly powerful the Four-Tails was.

_Give him hell, Son._

The bijuu obeyed.

With a roar of joy, Son Goku took control over his body, transforming into his full size and running toward the Sannin straight on. Roshi watched, an observer in his own body.

Orochimaru had not expected such a direct attack. He tried to leap away, but before he could escape, Son Goku had already captured him. The bijuu had Orochimaru's left leg clasped in one hand, the torso on the other. Without hesitation, he ripped the leg off, throwing the severed limb into the distance.

Yet, despite the situation, the Sannin managed to spit out a sword, which he used to spear through Son Goku's hand. Instinctively, the bijuu let go of Orochimaru with a yelp of pain and surprise. The Sannin dropped to the ground on all fours, blood pouring out of the stump and soaking the ground, out of breath and panting.

Han, still enveloped in his chakra cloak, walked toward the defeated Sannin calmly, ready to deal the final blow.

'_That was a lot more violent than I thought it would be,'_ Yagura muttered, sounding slightly surprised. _'But at least now he doesn't have a leg to stand on.'_

'_Son has been wanting to rip off his leg for a while now,' _Roshi answered, ignoring the pun. _'Says he can't run away now.'_

'_Yeah, it's a leg end.'_

That time, Roshi groaned and he heard Son Goku join in._ 'Now Han just needs to knock him out and we can-'_

'_He's slithering away!'_

'_What?'_

Roshi had expected Yagura to be speaking metaphorically, but Orochimaru was indeed slithering away, his lower half transformed into a snake tail. Han began chasing after him, but Orochimaru was faster and able to move swiftly in the foliage.

Annoyed, Roshi called back Son Goku's chakra, returning to the four-tailed transformation. He began running through the forest, his smaller size better able to dodge through the trees.

Roshi had almost caught up to his opponent when a cloud of smoke appeared in front of him. He looked up. In front of him was a snake, much taller than the trees that surrounded them. It hissed before attacking, knocking over a small swath of trees.

Roshi and Han leaped up, avoiding the strike effortlessly.

"I'll take care of it!" Han ordered. "You go catch Orochimaru before he can escape!"

Roshi nodded and began running toward where he had seen the snake vanish. Before he had taken more than a few steps, however, Yugito appeared from overhead, sinking her claws deep into one of the summoned snake's eyes.

The creature screeched in pain and rage, and swung its tail, bringing down another swath of trees. If Roshi weren't in a life or death situation, he might have felt bad for the injured creature.

"You two go on ahead!" Yugito shouted as she dug into the snake's other eye. "He knows what you two are already anyway! Go catch him!"

She somersaulted back, avoiding being swallowed by the blinded snake. She continued her assault, focused on the giant creature in front of her.

Han raised a thumb without looking back, following after Roshi, the chakra cloak and steam allowing him to catch up.

"Where did he go?" Han asked as he ran at Roshi's side.

"I think he went that way." Roshi pointed somewhere in a vaguely western direction.

He felt a ball of worry worm into his stomach. In the few seconds that the snake had distracted them, Orochimaru was beyond his view. He thought he saw a hint of a snake tail at the edge of his vision, but it might have been his eye playing tricks on him. _Where's a sensor when you need one?_

"He's actually going that way."

Roshi jumped in surprise as C flickered to his side, an annoyed frown on his face. He gaped at the blond. _Can sensors read minds now, too?_

His theory grew stronger when C gave him a mocking glare and a roll of his eyes.

"I can tell what you're thinking by the dumb expression on your face," the Kumo shinobi complained. "Yugito-san and I came up with this plan when we were still on our way."

Without waiting for Han and Roshi's reactions, he began to run in the exact opposite direction, toward the east. The two jinchuuriki followed after him, abashed.

"Sorry, but not everyone can be a sensor," Roshi grumbled. "The fucker must have changed directions when we were still dealing with the giant snake."

"And not everyone is a jinchuuriki, but here we are." The younger man's voice was dripping with suppressed fury and he glared over his shoulder at Han and Roshi.

"We all have secrets." Han shrugged before jumping over a fallen tree, his voice as calm as usual.

"I hope this isn't the real you, boy." Roshi raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't want to lose you to that snake."

"Of course this isn't my real body." C closed his eyes as he focused on Orochimaru's chakra signature, veering slightly north. "Are you stupid? I'm a sensor, I can't let my real body be found so easily. There are a few decoys scattered around the area. Anyway, Orochimaru is going that way."

He switched directions again, veering further west.

Sure enough, they reached Orochimaru soon after, slithering through the underbrush, half of his body still in the shape of a snake. Roshi smirked. Unlike earlier, there was a definite look of panic in his eyes.

"So you have a sensor with you," the Sannin muttered, the leer gone from his face, leaving a pained grimace. "I should have finished you off earlier."

'_Lewd.'_

'_Shut up, Yagura.'_

"We only want information," Han lied, taking a step closer. "Tell us about the organization you belong to. If you do, we will let you go."

Orochimaru hissed, disbelieving Han's words. As before, he spat out a sword, ready to fight to the last, even without one leg.

Roshi prepared himself to dodge and he saw Han do the same at his side. Standing a short distance behind them, C also sunk into a defensive position, a kunai held in one hand as a shield.

Orochimaru's neck lengthened and his head moved toward Han, the sword held in his mouth. Han lifted an armored forearm to deflect the blade.

However, at the last minute, when the sword was about to make contact with Han's armor, the Sannin's neck moved and he ran toward C instead.

The clone of C didn't have time to dodge and he disappeared with a yelp in a puff of smoke. Roshi took the opportunity to strike. He used his right knee to crush the Sannin's long neck, hoping to catch him at a disadvantage.

Orochimaru disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

'_**A clone?' **_Son Goku reacted with surprise as Yagura muttered,_ 'The fuck?'_

Roshi's jaw dropped and he gaped at the empty space where Orochimaru had been.

"How the fuck were we tricked by a clone!?" Roshi shouted in disbelief. "C was tracking him!"

'_Shadow clones are made by dividing the user's chakra, so they have the same signature as the original body,'_ Yagura explained, worry entering his voice for the first time. _'Even a skilled sensor would be unable to tell the difference.'_

"He must have created the clone and switched while we were distracted by the snake," Han theorized. Unlike earlier, there was a rare hint of anger in his tone. "Where do you think he-"

Roshi gasped, cutting off Han's question. He turned to his friend, an anxious frown on his face. "Wait! Do you think..."

Han's eyes widened in understanding. Without waiting he began to run back to where they left Yugito fighting the snake. Roshi followed after him, staying at his side effortlessly.

Together, they wove through the forest, hoping to get to Yugito as quickly as possible.

They arrived a minute later. Since they had been gone, large swaths of trees had fallen over, leaving a giant dead snake in the middle of the newly-made clearing.

Yugito stood atop its corpse, wiping the blood from her nails with a cloth from her weapon's pouch. Her face was calm, cleaning the gore methodically.

"Yugito-san!" Roshi shouted, relieved. "You're okay!"

Yugito turned her attention toward them before jumping down from the remains. Her nails clean, she recalled them, leaving her hands and feet as normal.

"Of course I'm okay," she answered. A frown appeared on her face, turning her attention to Han then Roshi and back again. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Orochimaru used a clone to distract us," Roshi confessed. "We thought maybe he would come after you next."

Yugito shook her head. "No. I was waiting for you two to come back." Her frown deepened. "Didn't C help you track down Orochimaru?" she asked. "I asked him to stand back as support."

"We met your teammate on the way," Roshi said. "Well... the clone of your teammate. But since shadow clones share the same chakra signature as the original body, he was tricked as well."

"Orochimaru complained about how we had a sensor," Han added. Roshi heard a sound that could only come from his friend grinding his teeth. "He attacked C first, even if it was only a clone."

"Orochimaru attacked C?" Yugito bit her lip. "Do you think he wants to get rid of our sensor first?"

Roshi's eyes widened and he made a quick, frantic sweep over their perimeter. "It's possible. Where's the boy now?"

Yugito's jaw dropped. Without answering, she leaped up into the canopy and made her way out of the clearing. Han and Roshi followed without a word.

While Roshi knew almost nothing about C, he saw the worry etched on both Han and Yugito's faces. After five months together, it was clear to him that they had become allies, if not friends. He started to feel worry burrow into his stomach as well.

'_Hope the kid's all right.'_

'_**I told you to let me out from the very beginning,' **_Son Goku complained.

'_Sorry, Son,' _Roshi apologized, although he doubted it would have made a difference. Just as Orochimaru had underestimated him, so had Roshi. As if a missing leg could hold him back for long.

"C should be around here," Yugito said, her voice full of growing anxiety. "We agreed that he would-"

"What happened?" To their relief, the blond flickered in front of them, an annoyed glower on his face when he saw Han and Roshi. "Did you kill the bastard?"

"C!" Yugito shouted with obvious relief. "You're alive!"

C blinked. "Of course I'm alive. Did you kill Orochimaru, Han-san? I can't sense him anymore."

"What do you mean you can't sense him anymore, boy?" Roshi crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring up at the man in front of him. "How is it possible that you can't _sense _him?"

C glared back. "Well, I'm not sure what happened, seeing as my clone got destroyed. But I assumed you had killed him when his chakra signature disappeared."

"What do you mean _disappeared_?" Han asked.

"I can't sense people if they die or if they run out of my range," C explained, his voice dripping with impatience. "Since our mission was to kill him, I assumed you had succeeded once his chakra signature vanished."

Roshi shook his head. "After your clone was destroyed, we realized the body you led us to was also a clone. Who knows where the fucker is now?"

"So he ran away?" C asked, hands clenched into fists.

"He ran away," Han confirmed, the fury in his voice becoming more and more pronounced.

"Fuck!" Roshi and Yugito shouted at the same time.

Roshi kicked a tree, leaving a sizable dent in the wood. In his mind, his companions raged, the agony of Orochimaru escaping too much for even Yagura to joke about.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I think this chapter is the shortest in a very long time but one of the most difficult to write. Sorry for the long wait.**

**Thank you so much to Morket and DarkUnicorn6666 for helping me beta this chapter! It was so hard! And not in a fun way.**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Next chapter: heading out.**


	37. Disappointments and Chances

**In which important things are said.**

**Warning for child abuse caused by Rasa being a dick.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yugito kept her eyes focused on the ground as her team returned to Shiokaze in defeat. She kicked a tree as she passed by it, splitting it in two out of sheer anger.

After more than five months chasing after a lead, to find it came to nothing was more than a letdown. It was absolutely fury-inducing.

The two other jinchuuriki were just as enraged.

Soon after Orochimaru's space, Han had punched a tree so hard it had fallen in one second, splinters floating in the air. After that, he had seethed in complete silence, the only noise coming from his grinding teeth. Roshi had reacted similarly, covering his body in lava before turning a giant tree into ash.

Even Yagura was angrier than she could remember in years. He had stopped making jokes about the situation and was fuming instead, wondering aloud if he should have tagged along after all.

C himself was not immune. He had been annoyed to discover that Han and Roshi were jinchuuriki. But that was nothing compared to his wrath at finding out Orochimaru had escaped. Since leaving their campground, his fists and jaw had been clenched in fury.

However, to him, Orochimaru's escape meant only that a mission had failed. Unlike her, he knew nothing about the potential lead that had slipped through their fingers.

Orochimaru had been so close, yet, he had disappeared so fast they had not even noticed it. _How hard is it for three fully-realized jinchuuriki to catch one snake?_

"We're almost back at Shiokaze," C announced, his voice exhausted and defeated. "I can feel Darui's chakra. And that friend of yours, too. Kaito."

Yugito only nodded, not knowing what she could say. Walking close behind her, Han and Roshi grunted but said nothing.

A few minutes later Yugito got her first glimpse of Shiokaze after more than five months.

As soon as they stepped foot inside the town, the people greeted them with smiles and waves. From their perspective, Yugito and her team had returned alive, which was the only proof of victory they needed. After all, no one else had disappeared in over half a year and they had reason to be optimistic.

Yugito could not return their cheer. She had failed her mission, one in only a handful ever since she became a shinobi.

She couldn't let the people know the true extent of the situation either. Not unless she wanted panic to erupt. _I can't tell them that Orochimaru is the one that had been taking all their children._

Biting her lip to suppress a scream, Yugito led them to the town's central building, knowing that Darui and Yagura were there.

Sure enough, once they stood in front of the main building, Darui flickered in front of her, the usual bored expression on his face. Yet, Yugito could see a hint of disappointment in his eyes. She looked away, ashamed in her failure.

"Akio-san told me about the whole dull thing," Darui said, his gaze sweeping over the four of them. "So Orochimaru managed to escape after all."

Yugito nodded, her teeth gritted in rage. All that effort and it was all for nothing._ We didn't even learn anything about their organization._

Darui's eyes grew gentle and he turned around to enter the administration building. They followed him as he led them down the hall and into an empty room, sliding the door closed behind them.

"So I guess things didn't work out, did they?" Yagura sat at a low table, a fake smile on top of his disguise. He stared at the four returning shinobi, an indecipherable look in his eyes.

For the first time ever in Yagura's presence, Yugito felt guilt burrow into her stomach. She clenched her hands into fists and looked down at her toes, ashamed. They had thought they could handle Orochimaru, but clearly they could not.

_I'm weak. I should have been able to capture Orochimaru, if not kill him._

"I'm sorry," she apologized, bending her head forward in front of Darui and Yagura. "I failed you and this village. I should have been able to do more."

Yugito felt tears building at the corners of her eyes, but it was easy to push them back. The only people she had ever allowed to see her cry were Samui and Mabui and that list was not going to grow. _I'm supposed to be the leader. I should have been able to do more._

An awkward silence settled over them as they absorbed her apology. Yugito was unable to meet their eyes.

"Not every mission is a success, Yugito-san," Yagura eventually broke the silence, his voice gentler than she had ever heard. "What matters is learning from our failures and doing better next time."

Yugito heard mutterings of agreement from the other shinobi at Yagura's words. She bit her lip, still afraid to look up.

"No, you really should blame me," she retorted. "It's _my _mission and that makes _me _the one responsible. I had the opportunity to chase after Orochimaru but I decided that the summoned snake was more important."

"I'm afraid we were the ones who ruined this mission, Yugito-san," Roshi said with a heavy sigh.

Yugito glanced up to meet the short man's eyes. To her dismay, his words were completely sincere. She grimaced. _Can't he see how much I fucked up?_

"I underestimated Orochimaru," Roshi continued. "I might have called for backup but it doesn't change the fact that I was overly confident in my own abilities. If I had-"

"No," Han interrupted, speaking for the first time since their fight. "When you tore off his leg, I had the opportunity to finish him quickly, but I acted too slowly, believing there was no way for him to counterattack. If I had taken him down, we would have managed to capture him."

Still sitting on the floor, Yagura shook his head. "It's my fault as well. I might not be the best fighter anymore, but I could have provided support in a difficult situation."

"That still doesn't change the fact that as the leader, the success or failure of a mission is my responsibility," Yugito concluded. "I apologize for my weakness."

She stood up straight, meeting everyone in the eye, afraid of their reactions.

"So basically it's everyone's faults except for me and Darui," C commented, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Except that _you _weren't necessarily the best support in the fight, boy," Roshi grumbled. "Your clone got destroyed and you were unable to sense the difference between a shadow clone and the original body."

C's face reddened but he maintained his haughty posture. "It's not like I can do much about it! Shadow clones have the same chakra signatures as the original bodies, after all. The original must've suppressed its chakra while we were chasing the clone."

"Still means you messed up, C," Darui drawled, hands in his pockets. "How dull."

C's face grew redder but he had no retorts. Yugito almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of _Darui _of all people scolding C.

Yugito sighed. "Well, in any case, we let Orochimaru get away," she concluded. "So now, the question is..." she looked up to meet their eyes once again. "With the mission failed, what are we going to do now?"

The other shinobi shifted, unsure of what to say.

Finally, Yagura sighed. "Sit down," he ordered before heading toward a water kettle sitting by the wall. "Roshi, Han, C, you too. Would you all like some water? Tea?"

"I'd like five bottles of sake to black out on," Roshi muttered as he collapsed on the floor with a grunt. "Han can probably handle ten."

Han said nothing. He sat down near Roshi, leaning his body against the wall. He took off his hat and mask, placing it next to him on the floor and staring up at the ceiling. Yugito grimaced at the sight. She had never seen the giant man look so defeated before.

"Some tea for me," C sighed before kneeling down close to the table.

Darui sat at his side and Yugito joined him on the floor. "Same for me, please," they said at the same time.

With a nod, Yagura prepared a kettle full of tea. The room grew silent, each of the shinobi lost in their own thoughts.

"I don't have sake, so you'll have to make do with tea," Yagura muttered as he placed two steaming cups of tea in front of Han and Roshi. He handed the rest of the cups out.

Yugito accepted hers with a muttered thanks. She took a sip of the hot liquid, comforting in the winter chill. In an instant, her body felt warmer and the situation did not seem as desperate anymore. _The power of tea._

Yagura sat down next to her with a sigh, his own cup cradled in his hands. He took a long sip before speaking again.

"I guess there is something we have to do now," he said as he turned his attention to Han and Roshi. "We need to find Orochimaru again. This time, it's personal."

"Why personal?" C asked. He placed his cup on the low table at the center of the room, untouched.

"It's none of your business, boy," Roshi grumbled before taking a large gulp of tea.

C frowned. "You know, there are a few things I've been wondering about since the fight." He glared at Han and Roshi, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "First of all, when did the jinchuuriki of Iwagakure leave their village?"

A chill passed through the room. Yugito frowned, turning her attention between her teammates and her fellow jinchuuriki. As much as she loved the jinchuuriki and considered them her family, she was still a shinobi loyal to her village.

She had to change the topic before her nightmare of split loyalties turned into reality.

"There's nothing we can do about it now, C," Yugito interrupted before C's threats turned into action. "Or do you really think we can handle two jinchuuriki without leveling the entire town?"

C gave her a look that could best be described as a pout before looking away and glaring at the wall. Yugito sighed in the relief.

"I'm afraid we will have to report this to the Raikage," she said, knowing that the knowledge that Iwagakure had lost their jinchuuriki would make A dance in glee. "I am unable to guarantee anything from him, but for now, you have my promise that I will not hurt you."

Yagura nodded, although he hadn't seemed worried about that at all. "I understand. It's not every day that you bump into missing-nin that just so happen to be jinchuuriki, after all."

"There is one other thing," C continued stubbornly as he focused his attention back on Han. "When you saw Orochimaru, you said you only wanted information. You said that as long as he told you about the organization he belonged to, you would let him go."

Han hummed, turning his attention back to C. "Yes, I suppose I did." He took a sip of tea, ignoring when C's face turned red with annoyance.

"And why are you searching after this organization?" C persisted. "What's the name of this organization, anyway?"

"It's really none of your business, boy," Roshi grumbled, defending his friend. "Orochimaru seems to belong to a group and we are trying to track that group down. There's nothing else I'm willing to tell you about it."

"It's best to just leave it be," Yagura confirmed, drinking some tea from his own cup. "The organization we're looking for does not concern you at all."

Roshi and Yagura's words only seemed to make the blond angrier than before. Furious, he glared at Han, then Roshi, then Yagura and back again. He opened his mouth to say something when Darui placed a hand on his shoulder. When C turned to him, Darui gave him a look and a gentle shake of his head.

Frustrated, C scoffed, turning his attention to the cup of hot liquid in his hands. Yugito breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment, at least, her loyalties were intact.

The room fell into silence once more, broken only by the occasional sips of tea and C's grinding teeth. Yugito shifted in her seat, unsure how to break the silence.

"So what are we going to do now?" Darui finally spoke, focused on Yugito and C, easing some of the tension that had built up. "I'm not sure we can return to Kumogakure with Orochimaru still on the loose."

"I will stay here in Shiokaze," Yugito declared, her eyes sweeping over the room. "Darui and C can return to Kumo and tell the Raikage about what happened. Whether he will send me support or will order me to stay for the foreseeable future, we will have to see."

Yugito bit her tongue, hoping A wouldn't force her to stay in Shiokaze for long. She missed her home. She missed her cat. And she especially missed Samui. _I missed our anniversary_, she thought with a pang.

C and Darui looked at her, silent. Reluctantly, they nodded. She turned her attention to the other jinchuuriki.

"And what about you?" she asked. "What are you going to do?"

Han said nothing while Roshi only leaned his head against the wall. Yagura was the only one who seemed to be taking her question seriously. A million thoughts seemed to flash across his face and she waited patiently for his answer.

"We're still going to keep searching for Orochimaru," he eventually announced.

Han and Roshi looked up at that, frowning slightly at the man. Still, they did not say anything.

"How do you plan to do that?" C asked, his expression half curious and half disbelieving. "Even with my help and the help of Yugito-san, the bastard escaped, free to do who knows what creepy things. What makes you think you could handle him the second time?"

Yagura hummed in deep thought, placing his cheek on the palm of his hand and leaning forward. "What do you know about the Legendary Sannin?" he asked.

Yugito shrugged. "Not much," she admitted. "They were some of the strongest shinobi during the Second Shinobi World War, active mostly in the area close to Amegakure. Tsunade is famous for her medical ninjutsu and Jiraiya is the Toad Sage. Not much more than that, I'm afraid."

Yagura nodded, expecting her answer. "It's rumored that both Jiraiya and Tsunade have left Konoha but remain loyal to it. They are possibly the only people who truly know how to fight against the stupid snake bastard."

Yugito's heart began beating faster as she realized what Yagura was implying.

Yagura smirked. "So why don't we try and pay the other two Sannin a visit?"

Han and Roshi's eyes widened in understanding. For the first time since Orochimaru escaped, they looked almost hopeful.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara collapsed on the sand, cold as ice in the winter night. He shivered and felt his eyes water, but he refused to cry in the presence of the Kazekage.

He looked up to meet the man's eyes, panting in exhaustion and fear.

"You are waking up too early," the Kazekage said, standing over Gaara, his gaze cold and severe. "How can you allow the full power of the bijuu to come out if you don't allow yourself to sleep?"

Gaara shivered despite himself, looking away from the man's eyes. He panted in exhaustion, swallowing to force down the bile that was building up in his throat.

Ever since that promise in his office, the man had taken Gaara at night to the middle of the desert. There, he ordered Gaara to let Shukaku loose, the first time that he had ever been given permission to fall asleep.

Yet sleep had not been restful in the slightest.

Unlike meditation, he didn't allow himself to enter the Room in fear of the other jinchuuriki learning about his situation. He knew that if they heard what the Kazekage was forcing him to do, they would invade Sunagakure and try to take him away.

Gaara couldn't allow that to happen.

They had more important things to worry about than Gaara's comfort and happiness. At the very least, they had to chase down that mysterious organization they had told him about. That took precedence over anything that happened in his life.

Alone, he would tolerate anything and everything that the Kazekage was doing to him, even if he hated it. So whenever Roshi, Han, or any of the other jinchuuriki asked if anything was wrong, Gaara's only option was to lie.

Fuu didn't seem to believe him, but despite pressuring Gaara, she was unable to get anything out of him. Suspicious, she had been forced to take his words at face value. Naruto had sensed Fuu's worry, but like her, he too couldn't get Gaara to talk.

The only silver lining in Gaara's new life was that the Kazekage was too busy to train with him regularly. If they had trained more often, he might have tried to escape Sunagakure, if only out of pure desperation. The monthly meetings were as much as he could stand.

Swallowing his bile down, Gaara looked up and met the Kazekage's gaze. He was waiting for Gaara to stand up, ready to try releasing Shukaku again.

"Are you finally ready to try again?" the man asked, tapping one foot on the ground with impatience.

Gaara nodded, not wanting to speak in fear of throwing up, even on an empty stomach.

Shaking, he stood up. With a final sigh, he forced the familiar mask onto his face before meeting the Kazekage's eyes unflinchingly. The man only met his gaze with a deep frown, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Let the bijuu out," the man commanded. "I don't know why you keep trying to suppress it. It's a weapon for our village meant for destruction. It's what it was meant to do."

Gaara felt a fresh surge of hatred for the man standing over him. The man's insistence that the Ichibi was solely a tool for destruction only worsened their already contentious relationship.

The bijuu was reluctant to give up any of his chakra and he refused to cooperate, no matter how much Gaara pleaded and begged. In the end, Gaara could only use Shukaku's chakra by allowing the Ichibi to possess his body.

'_If you gave me chakra, I could find a way to work with you like the other jinchuuriki.'_

'_**They can do that because my siblings are weak,'**_ Shukaku complained. _**'But how could they match me in magnificence and power?'**_

Gaara shook his head in a vain attempt to get his mind to focus. Sometimes, he wondered if their shared hatred of the Kazekage was enough to settle their differences. Based on their inability to work together, it wasn't.

"Fall asleep again," the Kazekage ordered, his cold facade not changing. "Allow the bijuu to take over completely. I am here in case it begins to rampage if that's what you are worried about."

Gaara shook his head again. He was less worried about Shukaku rampaging and more about losing control over his own body. Without the Room, he was stuck in a nightmarish state somewhere between consciousness and not, free to watch his actions but unable to change them. On top of that, with the adrenaline running through his veins, he always woke up too early, to both the Kazegake and Shukaku's displeasure

Gaara wished he had the power, as Yagura said, to make the Kazekage fuck off. But even if Shukaku actually agreed to work with him, there was no possible way for Gaara to defeat the man. _He's too strong, even for Shukaku._

Frustrated and at the edge of tears, Gaara took a deep exhale as he moved his hands into the Ram position. With a pulse of chakra, he performed the Tanuki Sleep Jutsu and fell asleep.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Gaara followed as far away from the Kazekage as possible as they returned to the village. It was an hour past midnight and their training session had, unfortunately, been very productive.

After a few more shaky attempts to fall asleep, Gaara had relinquished control to his bijuu for a little under one minute. It was still not as much as the Kazekage wanted, but it was the most Gaara would muster for the moment.

Yet, if Gaara could work with Shukaku the same way the older jinchuuriki worked with their bijuu...

'_I don't suppose you would lend me your chakra by choice, Shukaku-sama?' _Gaara asked, trying to be as polite as possible. According to Fuu, the Nanabi said that Shukaku liked being addressed very respectfully.

The Ichibi snorted._** 'As if I would let my magnificent self work with such a lowly human. My siblings might think it's fine, but I know where we came from.'**_

'_The Sage of Six Paths?'_

'_**Don't you dare mention that name in my presence!'**_

Gaara frowned to himself, wondering who was so great as to earn the arrogant bijuu's admiration. He guessed the sage must have been an amazing person if even Shukaku respected him.

Gaara and the Kazekage crossed the village gate soon after. Gaara met the eyes of the guards unflinchingly, unsurprised to be met with barely hidden fear. He ignored them with the ease that came with years of long practice.

"I assume you can make your way back alone, Gaara," the Kazekage stated once they had passed the gates.

Gaara nodded, hiding his joy at the separation. Without looking back, he leaped onto the roof of the nearest building, leaving the hateful man behind. The Kazekage said nothing as he went on his way back to his own home.

Once Gaara was sure the man was far away, he dropped back to the ground, walking slowly on the desolate streets.

With no one to see him, he allowed his carefully honed mask to crack. He took a shaky breath out, holding his arms close to his body in a hug. Shivering, he forced himself to walk back to the house he shared with his siblings.

He wished it wasn't so late or he could talk to the other jinchuuriki. At the very least he had spent nearly an hour with Naruto, Fuu, and Roshi in the Room earlier. That had been enough to make his training session more tolerable later.

His brow furrowed with worry about his last few interactions with the older man.

Roshi had been angry for the past week, but unlike the Kazekage, he never allowed that to influence how he acted with Gaara. Still, the man looked more upset than Gaara could ever remember.

Han, Yagura, and Yugito were similarly angry about something.

However, they had refused to tell Fuu, Gaara, and Naruto anything about it, no matter how much they begged.

While Fuu and Naruto were growing annoyed with their secrets, Gaara had yet to say anything. He was sure they had their own reasons to hide the full truth from them. Considering his own lies about training with the Kazekage, he didn't have much room to complain.

Silent, he stepped into his home, taking his shoes off at the entrance. With a sigh, he headed to the kitchen, his stomach growling in hunger.

He walked down the hall and to his surprise, despite the late hour, there was a light on in the kitchen. _Are Temari and Kankuro awake? Maybe they got up to get some water._

Apprehensive, he walked down the hall, using chakra to hide the sound of his footsteps.

While his relationship with his siblings had improved ever since they returned from Shisen, things were still awkward. He found it difficult to talk to them and they had little to say in return.

He was still unable to tell them his true feelings the same way he could with the jinchuuriki. While they spent more time together than before, there was a wall between them that Gaara doubted would ever disappear.

With his stomach rumbling in a mixture of trepidation, hunger, and nausea, he peered inside the room. He blinked when he saw that it was completely empty.

He frowned before stepping inside the kitchen and heading to the fridge. _Did Temari or Kankuro forget to turn off the lights?_

Gaara was about to open the door to take something to eat when he noticed a small note hanging from a fridge magnet. He could immediately tell that it was written by Kankuro based on the neat handwriting. Curious, he leaned forward and began to read.

_We made too much curry. It's in the fridge if you want some. We just didn't want to let it go to waste._

Gaara's heart began beating faster and he placed a hand over his chest, grasping his shirt in a tight fist. His lips quirked up in a smile and he felt like laughing and crying at the same time. It was the kindest thing either of his siblings had ever done for him that he could remember.

A smile still on his lips, he opened the fridge. Sure enough, on the top shelf were two ceramic containers with a small label with only 'Gaara' written on it. He took out the first container and removed the lid, inspecting the contents.

As Kankuro's note had stated, it was leftover curry, the spicy smell tantalizing his empty stomach. He guessed the container under that was the spiced rice Temari liked to make.

With the two containers in his hands, he walked toward the stove to warm up his food. A few minutes later, the room was filled with the smell of spices and aromatics. His stomach only growled in hunger, his previous nausea and fear disappearing completely.

Alone at the kitchen table, he dug into his meal, eating faster than usual. It was the best thing he had ever eaten in his life, though he would never be able to put into words why.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Please be careful, Kasumi!" her older brother, Asahi, pleaded with a concerned frown on his face.

"I'll be fine, nii-san! I can take care of myself," Kasumi boasted. "Plus I have Haku-kun and Kimimaro-kun, too." She glanced toward her teammates with a smile. "Oh, and Utakata-sensei too, I guess." She waved off-handedly in his direction.

Utakata sighed and shook his head fondly. It was time for them to leave Kirigakure and everyone he knew seemed to have shown up to say goodbye.

Nearby, Kasumi said goodbye to her mother and older brother. Her face was split in two with a giant grin, talking a mile a minute to her family. A little farther away, Zabuza was giving Haku his final farewells. However, his thoughts seemed to be composed of grunts while Haku led the conversation. Meanwhile, Kimimaro listened attentively to Harusame's words of advice, nodding along.

Utakata tuned his students out and focused on the Mizukage and her entourage. Mei Terumi stood with Ameyuri, Ao, and an ancient woman, their voices too low to make out. They stared at their students, their demands for victory obvious.

Utakata felt anxiety settle into his stomach.

He understood why his team was under so much pressure. As the first genin team invited to take part in chuunin exams outside of Kirigakure, his team had a lot to prove. However, other than Asahi, no one seemed particularly concerned about their safety. Either that or they hid their fears better than the older boy.

_They really should be more concerned. People die in the chuunin exams all the time, no matter the village._

"Are you ready to go now, Utakata-kun?" Harusame asked, leaning in close to his ear to talk. "The chuunin exams won't start for another week, but you don't want to miss the ferry. There's only one per day."

Utakata nodded. "Yes, I think it's time," he muttered before stepping forward, commanding everyone to focus on him.

"It's time for us to leave," he announced when everyone was looking at him. "Haku, Kasumi, Kimimaro, let's go."

The children nodded and as a team, they stood in front of him.

"I do want to say one thing before you leave," Mei Terumi announced as she stepped forward. Her face was calm and peaceful, but the aura surrounding her was demanding.

Sensing the change in mood, Utakata and his students turned back and stood at attention. The other shinobi and family members moved, allowing the Mizukage to stand in front of Utakata's team.

"You three are the pride of Kirigakure," she began, her eyes meeting each of the children's eyes one by one. "This is the very first time we have been invited to participate in chuunin exams outside of our own country." She paused to smile. "Make us proud and return victorious."

"Yes, Mizukage-sama!" Kasumi and Haku said while Kimimaro only bowed his head down in respect.

"We won't disappoint you, Mizukage-sama," Haku continued, a small, gentle smile on his face. Kasumi and Kimimaro nodded their agreement.

"I'm glad." The Mizukage's smile widened. "In that case, I will see you at the finals in a month. I believe in you."

His students' eyes brightened but Utakata fought to keep a frown from appearing on his face. While he wanted his students to succeed, he worried about them becoming reckless.

Based on Kimimaro's previous visit to the hospital, he already had a tendency to push himself past his limits. Haku and Kasumi were not much better.

Both tended to keep going even in the worst circumstances. Haku was afraid of being useless in Zabuza's eyes while Kasumi needed to prove herself as the Fourth Mizukage's daughter. Unlike Utakata, they actually felt like they had a lot to prove.

Utakata bit his tongue, not wanting to bring down the optimistic mood. _I will talk to them once we make camp_.

"Thank you very much for your words, Mizukage-sama," Utakata said, bowing his head down one final time. "Now, I believe it is time for us to leave."

Mei Terumi nodded and took a step back. With her permission, Utakata and his team turned toward the exit.

"Wait!" Asahi's voice interrupted before they had taken a single step outside.

Curious, Utakata and his team turned to look at the older boy. He had started rummaging inside his bag, looking for something. A few seconds later, he took out three separate scrolls, holding them out in front of him.

"I made some storage scrolls for you three," he explained as he handed them out, one to each of his students. "I've been practicing and was able to make them. They can't hold too many things- only ten objects each- but they're useful for all kinds of stuff."

"Nii-san! You made this for me?" Kasumi's eyes grew wet with unshed tears and she looked up at her brother in admiration.

At her sides, Haku and Kimimaro took the scrolls gratefully, inspecting them from up close.

Utakata raised an eyebrow, impressed. While Kasumi had mentioned off-handedly that her brother was studying fuuinjutsu, she had said nothing of his progress. Even basic storage scrolls required a certain degree of knowledge and talent to pull off.

From what he remembered, the boy was only thirteen years old. He made a mental note to mention it to Yagura the next time they met.

"Thank you very much for the gift, Asahi-kun," Utakata said, nodding in the direction of the older boy. "I'm sure it will be useful."

The boy smiled, tilting his head to the side in a way that reminded him of Yagura.

Utakata swept his gaze over the other people that had come to say goodbye at the gate. With a final respectful nod, he waved goodbye, turned around, and exited the village.

The children followed after him, ready to make their way to Konoha.

**O-O-O-O-O**

From Kirigakure, Utakata and his team traveled to the small port on the main island of the Land of Water. Once there, they took a ferry to the Land of Fire. Once at the mainland, the rest of the journey would take approximately three more days at a decent pace.

While Utakata led the way, his students stayed close at his heels, looking around the new land in wonder. A few times, they broke out into spontaneous conversations, mostly led by Kasumi. He half-listened to their talks, smiling to himself.

It was their first visit to another shinobi village and their excitement was obvious. Their cheer was becoming contagious despite Utakata's worries for their safety. He thought about scolding them a few times, but he refrained. They had suffered too much in their short lives to not be allowed _some _excitement.

_The thing I want to talk about with them is too serious to bring up now, anyway_, he thought to himself.

"Winters in Konoha are warmer than in Kiri," Utakata said during a lull in their conversation. "It rarely snows there, and when it does, it's even rarer for it to settle. I imagine that's good news to you, Kimimaro."

Kimimaro nodded, relieved, and even Kasumi looked up, happy with the news. Haku only smiled up at him.

"That's good to know, sensei," Haku said with a smile. "But the cold never bothered me anyway."

"That's 'cause you have Hyoton," Kasumi whined with a roll of her eyes. "_We_ have to make ourselves warm somehow."

Kimimaro nodded his agreement vehemently. The boy was sensitive to the cold and with good reason. Unless he wanted to rip his clothes apart, he always had to fight shirtless, no matter the weather. Utakata and his other teammates had needed to warm him up with a hug more than once in the winter.

Utakata laughed. "Well, it will probably still be pretty cold," he admitted. "But it might be more tolerable for you two, at least."

"That's great, sensei!" Kasumi cheered. Kimimaro hummed in agreement at her side.

Utakata looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set and they still had a couple more days of travel until they arrived in Konoha. Considering they were in the middle of a forest, it was unlikely they would find an inn before nightfall. _We will have to set up camp soon._

"It's getting dark so we will have to stop within the next hour or so," he announced. "Keep your eyes and ears open for a good place to rest."

"Yes, sensei," the three children answered at the same time. As ordered, they began to inspect the forest more carefully, searching for sources of water and defensible locations.

"I hear a river," Kimimaro said half an hour later.

Utakata and the two other children paused, straining their ears to listen. With everyone quiet, the sound of rushing water was almost deafening. As one, they left the path, walked a few meters down, and found their campground for the night.

The source of water was small, more of a stream than a full river. There was a large clearing near it, perhaps built by shinobi or travelers that had passed by before.

"This place is perfect," Utakata said with a satisfied nod.

The three children seemed to agree because immediately they began to make camp. Kasumi set up the tent while Kimimaro searched for firewood and Haku headed to the river for fish and water. Utakata hummed, glad that he didn't have to order them to split up their tasks himself.

"I'll take a nap until dinner is done," Utakata declared as he headed toward a patch of grass. He inspected it for danger before collapsing atop of it with a yawn. In an instant, his eyes were closed and he had started drifting to sleep.

"Sensei!" Kasumi yelled, indignant. "You're so lazy! You should be helping us set up camp!"

Utakata could imagine Haku and Kimimaro pouting in agreement.

"We won't be taking watch shifts tonight," he explained with a shake of his head, his eyes still closed. "I want the three of you as well-rested as possible, so until we get to Konoha, I will stay awake through the night."

He opened his eyes to peer at the three students. They were staring at him, eyes open wide incredulously with their tasks half-completed. Considering Utakata's love for sleep, they seemed amazed that he would sacrifice it for them. Utakata sighed and shook his head.

"Don't give me those looks," he whined. "I want you three in the best possible condition before we get there and it's only two nights for me. Besides..." his gaze grew more serious as he met the children's eyes. "There's something we need to talk about before we arrive."

Noticing the change in tone, the children nodded, frowns on their faces, before returning to their tasks. Utakata closed his eyes again and fell asleep within minutes.

To his relief, no one woke him up until a few hours later, when Kimimaro squatted down next to him.

"Sensei?" the boy asked, tentatively shaking his shoulder. "Dinner is ready."

Utakata blinked awake. He sat up, yawning and stretching his arms over his head. Based on the total darkness, he guessed at least a few hours had passed since he had fallen asleep.

Sitting up, he turned his gaze toward Kimimaro, who was waiting for instructions. He smiled.

"Let's go then." Utakata stood up and headed toward the campfire, Kimimaro close at his heels.

A fire was already roaring, a safe distance away from the tent and anything flammable. Four fish were speared on sticks, already cooked, while some of their rations from Kirigakure were nearby.

"Finally, sensei!" Kasumi whined. "I'm starving! Haku-kun and I wanted to wake you up earlier, but Kimimaro-kun said you needed to sleep."

Utakata raised an eyebrow, turning his attention down back to Kimimaro. "Is that true?" he asked.

Kimimaro nodded, a pink tint on his face. Utakata placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed. The boy's face turned a deeper shade of pink.

"Thank you, Kimimaro," he began. "But you don't have to worry about me. That's my job."

Kimimaro nodded, still looking unsure. With no other words said, Utakata sat down next to his students, making a circle around the fire. Starving, they ate, few words exchanged.

They finished quickly and began to clean up. Kimimaro washed the dirty dishes by the side of the river as Kasumi and Haku looked for more firewood.

Utakata remained by the fire, watching as his students prepared everything before bed. _They're so young_. He bit his tongue, anxiety worming into his stomach once more. _Maybe too young_.

With the last of their chores finished, they walked back toward the campfire, firewood in their arms for their morning breakfast. The three children sat nearby, huddling close to the fire for warmth. They began to chat, but Utakata wasn't paying attention to their words. The Mizukage's final statement was bouncing around his head and he had to talk to them about it.

_It's a harsh reality, but I have to say it_.

"Kimimaro, Haku, Kasumi," he said, tone serious. In an instant, the three children stopped their conversation to look at him.

"What is it, sensei?" Kasumi asked. Her expression made it clear she understood Utakata had something serious to say. She met his eyes unflinchingly, biting her lip as the only sign of apprehension.

Kimimaro and Haku copied her lead, also meeting Utakata's eyes. While their faces were calm, he had known them long enough to know they were uneasy about the change of mood.

Utakata sighed, unsure of how to begin. The three children were staring at him expectantly and he still didn't know how to bring up the topic. _Well, might as well make it up as I go along._

"People always die in the chuunin exams," he began, making his students tense immediately. "Kirigakure was once infamous for hosting school matches where students fought each other to the death. But even in other hidden villages, it's common for students to die in the chuunin exams."

His students nodded, their full attention focused on him. He saw a shiver pass through Kasumi while Kimimaro tightened his hands into fists and Haku frowned. They seemed to understand what Utakata was getting at.

"Everyone in Kirigakure is expecting you to win and show other countries our strengths," he continued. "While I also expect you three to try your hardest, I don't want you to pay the ultimate price for it."

"Ultimate... price?" Haku asked. He leaned in closer to Kimimaro, searching for comfort.

Utakata nodded. "If you three do not succeed at the chuunin exams, we will return to Kirigakure in disgrace," he stated, voice certain. "At the very least, expect disappointment from other shinobi. I will be deemed a failure as a teacher as well, mocked for being unable to teach a group of prodigies how to fight."

The children absorbed his words, frowning at the certainty in his voice. Yet, they couldn't dispute the truth.

"But..." he paused, not sure how to say his next words. "I would much rather return to Kirigakure a total failure and disgrace than return with one of you in a body bag."

His students' eyes widened and they stared up at him, mouths agape. They shifted slightly closer, waiting for his next words.

"Help each other. Save each other's lives. Don't throw away your careers and especially your lives just because you want to succeed," he ordered. "During the exams, I won't be able to help you, but you aren't alone. You have to look out for each other."

"I-I see, sensei," Kasumi stuttered. Unsurprisingly, her eyes had grown wet with unshed tears.

"Promise me, no matter what happens, you will not throw your lives or even your careers away," Utakata demanded. "Whether victorious or not, the four of us will return to Kirigakure all in one piece."

The children nodded before leaning in close to each other. "We promise," they said at the same time.

Utakata smiled. "Good. That's the only thing I wanted you three to think about."

He looked up. The half-moon was high up in the sky and the stars were out. If he had to guess, it was close to midnight. _They really did let me sleep for longer than they had to._

"Well, I guess it's time for you three to go to bed," he ordered. "I want to get to Konoha as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sensei," his students said together.

As one, they stood up and headed to the tent. Without waiting, they crawled into their sleeping bags, huddling together for warmth.

Utakata followed behind them. He entered the tent, sitting cross-legged at their feet, ready to stay up the entire night.

Under the light of the half-moon and the remains of the campfire, Utakata watched as his students settled in for the night, his fond smile invisible in the darkness. He was glad they had taken his words to heart. Only time would tell him the results.

He turned his gaze out to the dark forest, forcing himself to stay awake. He focused on the sounds of his students' breathing as they drifted to sleep. Alone, he looked up at the sky, his senses searching for any sign of trouble, no matter how unlikely.

"Sensei?" Kimimaro's soft whispering interrupted his wandering thoughts.

He looked back at the inside of the tent. The boy had sat up inside his sleeping bag and he was grasping the edge of it in tight fists.

"Sensei?" the boy asked again, sounding unsure.

"What's wrong, Kimimaro?" Utakata whispered. "Do you need to go to the toilet?"

The boy shook his head. His grasp on the sleeping bag tightened. In the darkness, Utakata was unable to make out his full expression. However, based on his slight fidgeting, he looked uncomfortable.

"What's the problem, then?"

"I... I can't sleep," the boy admitted.

"Nervous?" Utakata crawled closer inside the tent.

Kimimaro shook his head again. His grip on the sleeping bag did not ease. He paused before giving his answer.

"I'm cold," the boy confessed.

"Cold?" Utakata repeated.

Hidden in the darkness, he raised one eyebrow. While it was winter, the night was mild, without any ice or snow. With the sleeping bag and the warmth of his teammates, the temperature should have been more than comfortable.

Kimimaro nodded, his hands fidgeting with the edge of the sleeping bag. Utakata smiled to himself, not wanting to call out Kimimaro on the obvious lie. _He really is just a kid._

"Come close, then," he ordered.

Without hesitation, Kimimaro crawled to Utakata's side, his body still inside his sleeping bag. Utakata wrapped an arm around him, holding the boy close.

"Better?" he asked, one hand on the boy's head.

Kimimaro only nodded into his chest.

Utakata took a deep breath in and out before turning his attention back to the forest, watching out for danger.

At his side, Kimimaro relaxed as his breathing became more even. A few minutes later, he had fallen asleep, his breath slow and steady.

Gently, Utakata moved the boy so that his head was resting on his lap. With Kimimaro sleeping close to him, he watched the sky until the moon disappeared and the sun rose over the horizon.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Oh, Gaara, baby, you ARE the most important thing to the other jinchuuriki.**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Morket is the nicest person I know and he's super duper cool. He's a cool cat beta reader.**

**Next chapter: A new year.**


	38. At the Break of Dawn

**In which New Year wishes are made.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata looked forward as the gates of Konoha came ever closer. Walking next to him, his students tensed, their backs straight as they stared ahead of them.

After three days of travel, they had finally reached the Konoha gates on New Year's Eve. They would have a few days before the exams to become acquainted with the village and rest after their journey.

As he walked, an image of Naruto's laughing face appeared in his mind. The finals would take place in mid-February. Assuming his students qualified, Utakata would have a little over a month to bump into the youngest jinchuuriki.

However, nothing was guaranteed and his students took precedence. Until he was sure his team would advance to the final stage, he vowed to keep his distance from the boy.

_I just hope he forgives me if he learns I was in Konoha and didn't meet up with him._

"I think I see people at the gate," Kasumi muttered.

Her voice was unusually nervous and she took a step closer to his side. Kimimaro and Haku followed her lead and began walking closer to him.

Utakata turned his attention back to the gate. Sure enough, a small group of people was already waiting for them. While most wore the standard Konoha uniform, a couple were dressed in ANBU gear- expressionless white animal masks hiding their faces. At the center stood a shorter man wearing the unmistakable hat and cloak of the Hokage.

Utakata suppressed an annoyed sigh. _We really are getting the full welcome._

Forcing his face to remain neutral, he walked, intentionally slowly, toward their welcome party. His students followed close to him like ducklings. He glanced down to see their faces. To his relief, they appeared calm and unfettered, despite the nervousness they must have felt. While Utakata doubted peace-loving Konoha would attack first, nothing was ever guaranteed.

"Welcome to Konoha," the man wearing the Hokage hat said with a smile that almost looked sincere. "We are happy to see shinobi from Kirigakure in our village. My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Hokage-sama." Utakata bowed his head down, hands at his side. He saw his students follow his lead and bow down to the Hokage.

"We are glad to see that Kirigakure has accepted our invitation to participate in this latest set of chuunin exams," the Hokage continued. "I hope this is a new step in building a friendly relationship between our two villages."

Utakata lifted his head back up. Looking down at the shorter man, he nodded. "Yes, we hope for a bright future."

He looked around at the other shinobi surrounding the Hokage. While most seemed neutral, a few could not hide their disdain and disbelief at his words.

Utakata could not blame them. While the main conflict during the Third Shinobi War had been between Konoha and Iwa, the bloodshed had been global. There were crests of blood carved throughout both the Land of Water and the Land of Fire. Neither side could claim to be innocent in the violence either.

"These are my students," he continued. "Haku, Kimimaro, and Kasumi." He made sure to leave out their family names. The children nodded as he introduced them. "My name is Utakata. We are pleased to make your acquaintance."

A woman with markings on her cheeks in the shape of red fangs took a step forward, a scowl on her face. Gritting her teeth, she gestured toward Kasumi, whose eyes opened wide at the attention.

"That kid can't be here!" the woman shouted, pointing a finger at Utakata in accusation.

His heart beating in his chest, Utakata pulled Kasumi behind him, shielding her from whatever rage the woman felt. Haku and Kimimaro stepped forward at his sides. A new concern settled into his stomach. _Does he recognize her as Yagura's daughter? Would they want revenge for the Third War?_

"What do you mean?" Utakata asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"We agreed no one under the age of ten would be allowed to participate!" the woman exclaimed. "This little girl is much too young! Though I should have guessed someone from Kirigakure would allow that to happen." She sneered, showing off sharp fangs.

Utakata breathed a sigh of relief while he heard an offended gasp from Kasumi. Haku and Kimimaro relaxed and they stepped away.

Utakata shook his head. "She may look young, but she is more than old enough to be here."

"I'm the oldest one in our team!" Kasumi added, sounding more offended than Utakata had heard in a long time. "I'm eleven and they're only ten!" She pointed at her teammates, her eyes shining in angry, unfallen tears.

Haku's face was impassive but the fact he was biting his lip told Utakata he was holding back laughter. On his other side, Kimimaro was staring into the distance, his face deliberately serious. Like Haku, he seemed to be suppressing an amused smile.

"It's fine, Kasumi," Utakata said, placing a hand on top of her head. She looked up at him, a pout on her face and her eyes shiny. "I'm confident you're ready for the chuunin exams."

She nodded, biting her lip and looking down at her toes, sullen.

The Hokage cleared his throat. To Utakata's relief, some of the tension from before had eased and the Konoha shinobi no longer looked at them with so much disdain.

"I think it is time for us to show you to your accommodations," the Hokage said. Behind him, the gates to enter the village opened wide. "The first stage of the exams will begin in five days. Please take the time to rest, prepare, and get to know our village. One of our shinobi will remain close to answer any questions and see to your needs."

_So we will be monitored the entire time. Got it._

Utakata nodded. "Thank you very much. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated." He bowed his head down in a final show of respect. His students copied his lead.

With no other words exchanged, the Hokage turned around and entered the village. Utakata, his team, and the other shinobi followed after him, marking the historic moment when Kirigakure shinobi were invited into Konoha for the very first time.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"These will be your accommodations during your stay here in Konoha," the receptionist, a woman with long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, said. "We hope you find your stay with us pleasurable."

Utakata looked around the suite's main entrance. He saw a small living and dining room area with a large kitchenette against the wall. On the other side of the room was a hallway that he presumed led to the bedrooms and bathroom. It was larger and nicer than he had expected, more like an apartment than a hotel.

_Is Konoha trying to impress us by giving us such a nice room? It couldn't have been cheap._

Utakata turned his attention back to the woman from the front desk.

"Thank you very much," he said as he bowed his head down politely. From the corner of his eye, he saw his students following his lead.

The woman's eyes widened and a confused frown formed on her face. Utakata guessed she hadn't been expecting Kirigakure shinobi to have any manners.

"Please contact us if you need anything," the woman continued, still frowning. "I hope you have a nice day and a pleasant stay."

She bowed her head down at the four of them in turn before turning around and leaving, closing the door behind her.

Alone, his students broke out into excited chatter as they explored their hotel suite. They made a beeline to the kitchenette, where they began to explore the various tea options on offer.

Already tired from the events of the day, Utakata sat on the sofa with a sigh. _All this tension is going to make me bald._

Soon after entering the village, a man calling himself Izumo had taken them to the administrative center of the Village. There, they had done the necessary and tedious task of paperwork.

Upon completing it, a new man had arrived, introducing himself as Kotetsu. He explained some of the details of the chuunin exams, although he was strangely tight-lipped about the second stage.

As Kotetsu talked, Utakata nodded along, face stoic while inside he despaired over every single word. Every time the man mentioned the possible death or injury, his stomach would turn over itself. However, Utakata couldn't show his true feelings in front of his students or the Konoha shinobi, so he bit his tongue and nodded instead.

Finally, after a short-haired woman named Anko had given them a long list of restaurant recommendations, they were dismissed. Already late in the evening, Kotetsu and Izumo led them out of the administration building and to their hotel suite.

Having finished their orientation, Utakata and his team were finally alone. While he sensed no one listening, he was sure there were ANBU agents hiding from the shadows.

With a groan, Utakata collapsed on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. Mentally exhausted, he put his forearms over his face, not sure if he wanted to sleep or not. A strong pressure behind his eyes told him he wanted to cry. He rubbed at his face before the first tear could form.

"Sensei?"

Utakata felt Kimimaro's presence as he walked toward him. He soon heard the footsteps of his other two students walking closer as well.

"Are you okay, sensei?" Kasumi asked next, her voice sounding part worried and part judgemental.

"If you have a headache, I have some medicine for that, sensei," Haku said, the voice of reason in their group.

Utakata shook his head. He uncovered his face to look up at his students, who were now surrounding him. While Kimimaro and Haku looked worried, Kasumi had her arms crossed in front of her chest, critical of his perceived laziness.

Utakata sat up with a sigh, turning his attention back to his students. "I'm just tired," he admitted. "It's been a long day." It turned out watching his students sign liability waivers for their lives made his blood pressure skyrocket.

"It hasn't been that long!" Kasumi protested. "We've only been in Konoha a few hours!"

"I know." Utakata rubbed his eyes to try and wake himself up. "But a lot has happened." He stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "Anyway, we should go and get dinner. I want to see some of the village as well. Is there anything you want to eat?"

Haku shrugged while Kimimaro shook his head. Only Kasumi seemed to be considering his question and she hummed to herself.

"Ramen?" she suggested. "That lady without a bra said something about this really good stand called Ichiraku Ramen."

Utakata hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The name of the restaurant sounded familiar for some reason he couldn't quite remember. Perhaps Naruto had mentioned it before? The boy _did _have a special fascination with the dish.

"Sure," Utakata sighed, already walking toward the door. "Do you remember where it is?"

"That lady said over on the main street, only two blocks away," Kasumi added, walking at his heels. "I remember she said it's near a convenience store."

Utakata nodded. "Okay." He sighed again as he locked the door behind him. "Let's go."

Kasumi frowned up at him. "Are you sure you're okay, sensei?" she asked, sounding more concerned than judgemental for the first time. "Maybe you should take some headache medicine from Haku-kun."

Utakata shook his head as they began walking down the stairs and toward the exit. "I'm fine, Kasumi. Just lead the way. I'll ask Haku for medicine if I really start to feel bad."

Kasumi, as well as Haku and Kimimaro, gave him one last concerned glance. With Kasumi at the front, they headed down the stairs to the restaurant the woman had recommended. While the children talked about dinner, Utakata hung back, trying to make himself calm.

_Why did I agree to let them participate in the chuunin exams anyway? What if they fail? What if they get injured? What if they-_

Utakata shook his head, the possibility of death too real to think about. How were his students so unphased by the pressure? Was he getting old?

"Oh! It's over there, sensei!" Excited, Kasumi pointed toward a ramen stand at the corner of the street, walking faster toward it.

Utakata turned his attention to where she was pointing. He froze when he saw the blond boy.

Naruto was walking toward the restaurant, a grin on his face. A sullen-looking boy that could only be his friend slash rival Sasuke was at his side. The two boys were talking to each other, but they were too far away for Utakata to make out the words.

In an instant, he grabbed onto Kasumi and Haku's shoulders and turned them around. He began walking in the exact opposite direction before the youngest jinchuuriki could see. Without protest, Kimimaro followed them, as Utakata had known he would.

"Sensei!" Kasumi protested, trying to break from his grip and failing. "What's the big idea? I thought we were getting ramen!"

"Oh, uh..." Utakata swallowed as he continued to lead them away. "Well, I just remembered Kimimaro doesn't like pork or meat. So maybe ramen would be a bad idea."

"Wouldn't they have miso ramen?" Haku asked, looking up at Utakata with curious eyes but not breaking away. "Kimimaro-kun can always order miso ramen and ask for no pork."

Kimimaro nodded his agreement, following along behind Utakata. "I can order miso ramen, sensei."

Utakata shook his head. "Let's get shabu-shabu instead!" he ordered. "It's healthier!"

The three children frowned up at him before sharing befuddled looks.

"I think Utakata-sensei is going crazy," Kasumi muttered to Haku. "Do you think there's something wrong with him?"

"Could it be a genjutsu?" Kimimaro asked next, a small frown on his forehead.

"I'll need to check later," Haku answered. "It's possible Utakata-sensei is developing some sort of early-onset memory loss."

"He does seem to be getting kinda old," Kasumi added.

Kimimaro and Haku nodded in agreement.

"You do know I can hear everything you're saying, right?" Utakata grumbled, his hands still on Haku and Kasumi's shoulders.

Kasumi and Haku blinked up at him. "So?" they asked at the same time.

Utakata groaned before walking toward the first shabu-shabu restaurant he saw. The three children followed without protest, the pursuit of ramen forgotten.

"Table for four, please," Utakata said as he stepped inside.

"Of course, sir. Please follow me." The hostess greeted them with a smile before leading them toward a booth near the back of the restaurant. Utakata and his students followed her with only muttered thanks.

Utakata opened his menu, unable to understand any of the words in front of his eyes.

_That was a close call._

Utakata couldn't risk bumping into Naruto and the boy revealing anything incriminating. He also couldn't make himself look suspicious by searching for Naruto. If they were to meet in the wrong circumstances, he was sure the boy would blurt out something unfortunate. Best case scenario, Konohagakure and Kirigakure would be forced to reveal the identities of their jinchuuriki. Worst case scenario, they would lose their peace treaty and enter yet another war.

_Naruto is too excitable to not freak out if I meet him. I'm not even sure if I should tell him I'm in Konoha right now or not._

Besides, Utakata's biggest concern was over his students. They were young and full of confidence over their skills. Utakata knew first-hand how talented they were. They had completed more missions in one year than some chuunin had completed in their lifetimes. But still...

Utakata swallowed, his eyes glazing over the words on the menu. He cleared his throat and forced himself to speak.

"So are you three nervous about the chuunin exams?" Utakata peered over the menu to glance at his students, forcing his face to remain unphased.

"Not really." Kasumi shook her head. To Utakata's dismay, she sounded certain.

"I feel fine, sensei," Kimimaro added while Haku only shook his head.

Anxiety flooded into Utakata's stomach and he was unable to stop his grip on the menu from tightening. "Well, that's good to know," he lied, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. _Would it kill them to worry about their own safety?_

With a sigh, he placed down the menu back on the table and glanced around the room. As expected on New Year's Eve, the restaurant was empty except for them. The locals were likely with their family and friends.

Suddenly homesick, he thought of Harusame. The older man always woke up to watch the sunrise of the new year and make a wish. However, he had never been able to get Utakata to follow in the tradition since it involved waking up before noon.

Yet, for the first time in his life, Utakata vowed to wake up before dawn to watch the sunrise. He doubted wishes came true, but on the off chance they did, he wanted all the luck his students could get. His wish was more important than a few hours of sleep.

_I wish for all four of us to return to Kirigakure unharmed._

"Are you three ready to order?" he asked.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Yugito somersaulted back, avoiding the attack by mere inches. She landed on the floor in a crouching position, grinning at that night's opponent.

"That was close, Utakata," she admitted before standing up and rolling her shoulders back. "You almost got me."

Utakata shrugged before placing his pipe back into the bubble solution. As he got ready, Yugito tensed.

Earlier, all the jinchuuriki had gotten together for an informal New Year's celebration, a rare meeting with all nine of them.

Fuu and Naruto had spent every second of Gaara's time limit playing tag and flying around the Room. Han and Roshi had complained about Yagura losing money at a casino. Killer B had conjured a stage where he had shown off his best rhymes, some of which were actually decent.

The only person who did not seem in the mood to celebrate was Utakata. The younger man had spent most of his time staring into space and aimlessly wandering around the Room. While he answered anyone that talked to him, his eyes were always focused elsewhere.

Concerned, Yugito had asked Utakata to stay and spar with her once everyone else had left. To her relief, Utakata had agreed with a shrug, his eyes still unsure and staring off into the distance.

Together alone, Utakata blew bubbles that turned their target a garish pink while Yugito dodged. It was a fun exercise that they had done hundreds of times before, but Utakata did not seem to be enjoying it.

With a frown, Yugito began to whine about her life, hoping to distract Utakata from his worries. It was not working.

"So Samui visited me for the New Year," she said as she jumped up over a stray bubble. "The Raikage is keeping me in patrol duty for a few more months."

Utakata nodded and blew out another wave of bubbles.

"Darui and C already returned to Kumogakure." She lay flat on the floor. "But A has sent out a few other shinobi to set up a patrol system."

"I see."

"Since I'm the only person that met Orochimaru, I will stay to train my replacements for a while longer." She cartwheeled away from a wandering bubble. "I'll stay in Shiokaze a bit longer before returning to Kumo."

"Yeah, that's great."

Yugito was starting to get the impression that Utakata was not listening to her. _What's wrong with him?_

"So things have been kinda tense between me and Samui," she lied.

Utakata nodded. "I see."

"She told me she's started seeing someone else."

He nodded, staring off into space. "That's nice."

"Samui said she's pregnant and the baby is mine."

Utakata didn't react. He only nodded and put his pipe in the bubble solution once more, ready to attack again.

Yugito frowned to herself. _He's just going through the motions now._

Before Utakata could blow a new set of bubbles, Yugito sprinted toward him, flicking him on the forehead. Utakata had no chance to react and he gaped at her, his eyes finally focused on her.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she asked, tapping his forehead again. "Were you even listening to me?"

Utakata winced and looked away, a pink tint on his face. "Sorry, Yugito."

She sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I... uh..." Utakata bit his lip, looking away. "I'm not sure I can say."

Yugito groaned as she sat on the floor in a cross-legged position. She gestured to the space next to her. "Sit down. Let's just talk."

Utakata hesitated for only a second before collapsing on the floor. Unlike her, he lay down on his back, staring up at the ceiling in a way that reminded her of Yagura whenever he was sad. _Is it a Kirigakure thing?_

"So what's wrong?" she asked, resting her cheeks inside the palms of her hands. "I doubt it's related to that organization Han, Roshi, and Yagura are chasing or you would have already said something. Is it about Kirigakure?"

Utakata shook his head. "No. Well... not really."

"What's it about, then?"

"I'm not sure if I can say." Utakata started to chew on his lip, staring up at the domed ceiling and avoiding her eyes.

Yugito waited in silence. Sure enough, Utakata cracked a few seconds later.

"I'm in Konoha right now," he confessed.

"Wait, what? Konoha?" Yugito leaned forward, hovering over Utakata in surprise and amazement. "You're in Konoha?"

Utakata nodded, his eyes still trained on the ceiling. "I saw Naruto today. He was with his friend, the one he's always talking about. Sasuke."

"You saw Naruto?"

"He didn't see me though," Utakata continued. "I decided to leave before then. I don't want either of us to be interrogated when Naruto inevitably freaks out."

"I wouldn't either," she admitted with a huff. "That little menace can't hide his feelings at all."

"That's not my biggest concern right now, though." Utakata placed his forearms over his face.

"What is it?"

"I signed my students up for the chuunin exams in Konoha."

"Your students are taking the chuunin exams?"

Utakata only nodded, his face hidden.

In an instant, Yugito understood why Utakata had been so out of sorts for the past few days. She hummed in understanding, sitting up and placing her hands over her lap.

While Utakata did not talk much about his personal life, even with her, she knew about the three children he was teaching. He tended to gush about the youngest often, a white-haired boy named Kimimaro. Whenever the boy learned a new technique or complicated kanji, Utakata could spend hours talking about him.

Chuunin exams were difficult at best and deadly at worst. Considering Utakata's love for the children...

"So you're worried they could get hurt."

"Or worse." His voice came out muffled from behind his forearms.

Yugito sighed before leaning back, the palms of her hands flat on the floor behind her.

"Are they ready for the exams?" she asked.

Utakata nodded, his face still hidden. "As ready as they could ever be."

"In that case, why are you so worried?"

Utakata stayed silent, his answer obvious. Even the most well-prepared and well-trained shinobi could get taken down by the element of surprise or just plain-old bad luck. She had met her own share of shinobi that had died or been maimed on what were supposed to be easy missions.

"You should tell them you love them," she concluded with a sigh. "You don't want to have any regrets later. Might motivate them to stay alive as well."

"L-love them?" At that, Utakata finally uncovered his face, gaping at her in disbelief. "How can I say I lo... I.. uh... You know..."

Yugito rolled her eyes. "I know you love them. You should tell them that. It might be the only chance you get to say it."

"I... I don't know if I can." Utakata blushed and looked away.

Yugito sighed, understanding his sentiments all too well. It was intimidating and potentially embarrassing to say 'I love you' to anyone. It had taken Yugito almost a year to stop blushing when she said the words to Samui.

If it weren't for the three youngest jinchuuriki, she might have never been able to stop. They were so young that expressing their love was second nature to them. The first time Naruto had jumped on her and declared her love, Yugito had thought her heart might have stopped beating.

"Have you ever said 'I love you' to anyone, Utakata?" Yugito asked, staring down at her friend.

Utakata shook his head, his face growing redder. "It's embarrassing."

"Has anyone ever said that to you?"

"Only Fuu, Naruto, and Gaara," he answered, still red-faced. "Fuu so many times I lost count."

Yugito chuckled. Upon learning how to fly, Fuu had developed a new habit. She would hover over their heads before crashing onto them and professing her love.

"Then you should channel your inner Fuu and say 'I love you' to the little brats," she said. "I'm sure it would make them happy."

"It would make them laugh," Utakata muttered.

"Possibly." Yugito shrugged. "But they're words from the heart, right?"

Utakata groaned and placed the palms of his hands over his face, defeated. She chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand. Utakata was never as exposed to anyone else as she was with her.

"Utakata."

Utakata turned toward her, a frown on his face. "What is it?"

She smiled. "I love you."

As predicted, Utakata turned a deeper shade of red, covered his face with his hands, and rolled away, more embarrassed than she could ever remember. She burst into full laughter at his reaction._ If he gets this weird when I say it, I can only imagine when a girl he likes says it to him._

"What is it, Utakata?" she teased. "Embarrassed?"

"How can you say that with a straight face?" he whined. "It's embarrassing!"

She snorted. "I'm never straight."

Utakata groaned again before rolling over and laying face down on the floor, his head buried in his arms.

Yugito placed the palm of her right hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "It will be fine, Utakata," she promised. "Just breathe. You've been training your students for over a year now. I'm sure they will be fine."

"But..." Yugito heard as Utakata gulped down his tears. "But what if... it's still not enough?"

Yugito hummed to herself before squeezing his shoulder more tightly. "We can never know for sure, Utakata," she admitted. "But I believe in you. You've done everything you can. Trust them. Just make sure your students know how much they mean to you, okay?"

Utakata nodded into his arms, still not looking up.

_He's really serious about this._

She sighed. "Let's call it a day for now," she said.

Utakata nodded again, still silent.

"Would you mind if I play the shamisen for a while?"

Utakata shook his head, his face planted on the ground.

Without waiting any longer, Yugito conjured a shamisen and began to play.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Hurry up, loser!" Sasuke shouted as he climbed up the ladder up the water tower. "We're gonna miss the sunrise!"

Yawning, Naruto followed after him, though not as fast as the other boy would have liked. A new year had come and Sasuke had forced Naruto to wake up at an ungodly hour to see the first sunrise of the year.

For the past week, Sasuke had been stricter than usual about following the traditions of the New Year, forcing Naruto to comply. They had spent hours cleaning and getting rid of old things, both in Sasuke's apartment and Naruto's. With their homes clean, they had then made plans for what to cook and do when the day came.

It was the most excited Naruto had seen Sasuke in a very long time. Or, at least, he thought Sasuke was excited. His expression never seemed to change much.

Naruto liked the New Year, too. It was one of the few times that all nine of the jinchuuriki got together all at once. He played with Fuu and Gaara for as long as Gaara could stay. Utakata blew bubbles for them to play with as Yagura taught them ways to dodge them. Roshi and Han told him stories while Killer B sang to them. Yugito was more fun as well, often joining Fuu, Gaara, and Naruto in their games.

The New Year was fun but waking up before dawn to watch the sun sounded more like a punishment than a tradition. Until meeting Sasuke and his family, he had never even _heard_ of making a wish on the sunrise. He didn't see the point of celebrating it, especially when it was only going to be the two of them.

"Hurry up, idiot!" Sasuke shouted, shifting foot to foot while standing on the roof of the water tower.

Naruto rolled his eyes, climbing intentionally slowly up the ladder to annoy Sasuke. Once at the top, he yawned again.

"Why do we have to do this, anyway?" Naruto whined. "We could be sleeping right now, ya know!"

Sasuke grunted in annoyance. "It's tradition," he huffed as if it explained everything.

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto looked out over the village.

Unlike the lush forest that surrounded the Uchiha compound, the middle of Konoha paled in comparison. Buildings hid any nature that could be found and the light pollution obscured the stars. Instead of peace and tranquility, Naruto saw only hanging laundry and dirty alleyways.

The only hint of anything magnificent came from the Hokage Monument. Even in the dim light, Naruto could make out the faces of the four Hokage. They had considered going to the top to watch the sunrise. However, Sasuke had pointed out that it would likely be popular and crowded with people.

Not wanting to interact with strangers, they had decided to watch the sunrise from the top of Sasuke's apartment building instead. It gave them a view of only buildings and the Hokage Monument, but it was better than interacting with strangers.

With yet another annoyed huff, Sasuke sat down, swinging his feet over the edge of the water tower. He turned his gaze away from Naruto, glaring into the distance.

Annoyed, Naruto sat farther away than he would under normal circumstances. Together, they sat in silence as they waited for the sun to appear.

_Why does the New Year have to be in the winter? _Shivering, he began to rub his hands together. On a normal day, he would have moved closer to Sasuke for warmth, but he was still annoyed about waking up so early.

Naruto stared at the Hokage monument, praying for the sun to rise so they could go back inside. However, the view was not the target of his real frustration so he turned to glare at Sasuke instead.

Sasuke's only reaction to Naruto's anger was a small frown as he kept his gaze pointedly focused at the distance. _At least look at me, jerk!_

"So why are you so serious about celebrating New Year's anyway?" Naruto asked with a huff to break the silence. "I don't wanna wake up so early, ya know!"

"Because it was Mom's favorite holiday." Sasuke turned his face away.

Naruto's breath hitched as he felt a ball of guilt settle in his stomach. _That's right... this is the first time Sasuke's celebrated the New Year without his family..._

"Oh... I see." Naruto scratched the back of his neck, shame making him look down at his lap.

"And I think Dad liked it too," Sasuke continued, unprompted. "It was the only day he always took off from work."

Naruto swallowed and clenched his hands into fists on top of his lap. "Only day?"

He heard Sasuke grunt in assent. "He usually worked every day, even if it was a short shift." He grew quiet as he stared over the horizon, his face still turned away from Naruto.

Upon hearing his words, Naruto wanted to move closer to the other boy, but a gap had formed between them, wider than he could remember. He wondered what expression Sasuke had on his face. Was he sad? Angry? Happy at recounting the memories?

Face burning in shame, Naruto blurted out the first thing he could think of to change the mood.

"So what are you gonna wish for, anyway?" he asked.

"Wish?" Sasuke turned to him. To Naruto's relief, his face was as calm as usual, the only sign of tension the frown on his forehead.

Reassured that Sasuke didn't hate him, Naruto crawled closer, sitting down a foot away. "Yeah, like, what you want for the next year, ya know."

Sasuke pulled one leg close to his chest, resting his chin on his knee. Thoughtful, he looked out over the village, mulling over Naruto's question.

"I haven't thought of anything specific," he admitted. "I don't really think wishes come true anyway. Mine didn't."

"What was your wish?" Naruto asked. He scooted slightly closer for warmth.

It might have been Naruto's imagination or the low light, but Sasuke's face turned a slight shade of pink. "I wished that I would get a higher score than you on the next set of benchmark tests," he muttered. "Obviously, it didn't come true, even if it was Shikamaru's fault that happened."

Naruto gaped at the other boy for a second before snorting and bursting out into giggles. _So Sasuke wished for the same thing I did!_

On the first benchmark test of the year, Naruto had gotten a higher score than Sasuke. While they had been neck and neck during the events, the spars had been the tiebreakers. Sasuke had gone against Kiba, a long fight that resulted in Sasuke's victory. Naruto, meanwhile, had been matched with Shikamaru, who had given up before even stepping into the ring. In the end, Naruto had emerged with a higher total score.

Sasuke had been furious at the loss while Naruto had almost danced with joy.

However, when Sasuke had insisted on asking Iruka _why_ Naruto had won, it had turned out Shikamaru's withdrawal had cemented Naruto's win. Both of the boys had been furious, threatening Shikamaru if he dared to drop out again. Yet, that didn't change the fact that it had been Naruto's victory and his wish had come true, just not in the way he would have wanted.

"What are you laughing about, loser?" Sasuke yelled, leaning forward to scowl at Naruto. From closer, it became clear that his face was indeed flushed.

Naruto shook his head, suppressing the rest of his laughter. "I made the same wish you did," he confessed, chuckling one last time. "That's probably why it didn't come true, ya know!"

Sasuke blinked at him, his eyes widening as he seemed to consider a few things. "Well, I got a higher score in everything but the spars," he mumbled. "You only got a higher score than I did because Shikamaru gave up."

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted. "Stupid Shikamaru," he grumbled. "Made my wish come true in a stupid way."

Sasuke scoffed. "That's the only way you could win, loser."

"Shut up, jerk!" Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke's neck, rubbing at his hair. Sasuke protested and managed to break free easily.

With the tension from earlier gone, they sat side by side as they dangled their legs over the roof. In the morning chill, their shared warmth made their wait for the sun much more bearable.

Sitting close together, memories of the celebration the year before returned. Being woken with gentle words. Yawning next to Sasuke on the roof of his house. Sasuke's father placing a blanket over both of them. Leaning his head on a warm shoulder. Sasuke's mother giving him New Year's money...

Unbidden, tears came to his eyes.

"I should've wished for something else last year," Naruto confessed, sniffling. To his annoyance, he realized his vision had grown blurry. He wiped his eyes with his forearm, annoyed at himself.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke turned to look at him. His eyes opened wide when he realized Naruto had started crying. "Wait. What's wrong?"

Naruto shook his head, rubbing at his eyes. To his relief, no more tears came out and he took a deep breath in and out to calm himself.

"If my wish was gonna come true, I should've wished for something better." Naruto pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs.

"Better?"

Naruto nodded. "I could've wished for..." he paused to swallow, "for Auntie and Uchiha-san and everyone else to keep living."

Sasuke tensed but he did not move away. "I could have done the same thing. But I didn't."

Naruto hummed in thought. "I wish stuff was different, ya know." He placed his forehead down on his knees, his eyes closed.

They fell quiet once more. It was still dark and there was not even a hint of sun on the horizon. Naruto began to suspect that Sasuke had woken him up earlier than necessary just to annoy him.

Naruto shivered and moved closer to Sasuke until their shoulders were touching. He rubbed at his eyes, clearing them of unshed tears. _Sasuke probably thinks I'm a crybaby now._

Sasuke said nothing, moving closer to Naruto as well as he kept his gaze focused on the horizon. They were close enough that they could feel each other's breaths on their faces.

Together, they waited in silence.

"We should make the same wish," Sasuke suggested a few minutes later. He kept his gaze trained on the village.

"Same wish?"

Sasuke nodded. "It's more likely to come true if we both wish for it, right?"

Naruto hummed to himself, a frown on his face. "I guess?" He shrugged. "What are we gonna wish for though?"

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted. "Something better than who gets a better score on an exam at least."

They fell back into silence, trying to think of something that would make them both happy.

"Oh!" An idea came to Naruto and he turned to Sasuke, a smile on his face.

"Oh? Do you have an idea?"

Naruto grunted. "Yeah! How about we wish that everyone we care about has a good year?" he suggested. "That way everyone we care about will be happy, ya know."

Sasuke hummed to himself, considering Naruto's suggestion. A few seconds later, he nodded. "Sounds good. I guess we have our wish then." He gave Naruto a small yet sincere smile.

It was at that moment that they saw their first rays of sunlight peeking out over the buildings.

Naruto began to shiver in anticipation, thoughts of his wish running through his mind.

He thought of Gaara, barely older than him and already full of responsibilities. Fuu with her struggles learning how to control the Nanabi's chakra. Han, Roshi, and Yagura on their mission to find the mysterious organization. Yugito and Killer B in Kumogakure. Utakata with his team. The jinchuuriki had been at his side, loving and supporting him as long as he could remember.

Wishing for their happiness was the least he could do.

And in Konoha, he had Sasuke and Hinata. They were his best friends and he loved them. And he knew they loved him too, even if they could never say that out loud.

And then there was Iruka. Ever since the man had apologized, their relationship had improved. While Iruka had never been mean or rude to Naruto, he was warmer now, his smiles actually reaching his eyes more often.

He suspected Sasuke had grown to respect the man as well. At the very least, Sasuke had started using the honorific for their teacher. Other than with Teuchi, Naruto had never seen the other boy care much about being polite for politeness's sake.

_Yeah, I have a lot of people I want to be happy._

Silent, each lost in their own thoughts, Naruto and Sasuke watched as the sun rose, illuminating their world in its warm glow. Naruto made his wish, his eyes closed in the hope it would make it more likely to come true.

When he opened his eyes, the entire village was entirely illuminated in the sun's light. At his side, Sasuke was quiet, staring into the distance.

"I guess we should go back inside," Sasuke suggested, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

Naruto nodded, following after him down the ladder. Without any other words, they headed back inside to Sasuke's apartment for breakfast.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Hey, remember when I used to do weekly updates? Me neither.**

**The exact events of the benchmark tests that Naruto and Sasuke took can be read in **_**Two Doors to the Right**_** "Chapter 1: The One Where Nobody Wins."**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Morket is the nicest person I know and he's super duper cool.**

**Next chapter: unhappy meetings.**


	39. New Problems, Old Friends

**In which Utakata and Fuu meet unwanted people.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the jounin waiting lounge. He took a deep exhale before leaning back on the sofa, forcing his face into a mask of neutrality.

He was surrounded by other jounin teachers, all of whom were presumably worried about their students. However, Utakata couldn't show even a hint of weakness in front of all the foreign shinobi. He swallowed before crossing his arms in front of his chest and clenching a hand into a fist where no one could see.

_I wonder how they're doing now._

He bit his tongue. He wasn't sure if he wanted to cry, rage, or sleep. Just twenty minutes earlier his students had started on the first stage of the chuunin exams. From what he had been told, it was a written test to judge their intellectual abilities.

But the fact that it was a written exam didn't ease any of his anxieties. If anything, it made them worse.

In the shinobi world, appearances could be deceiving and Utakata was sure there was another layer to it. Perhaps the pencils were poisoned. Perhaps they would have to assassinate someone in their class. Perhaps they would be suddenly dropped into a pit full of poisoned spikes.

It wasn't unheard of for test proctors to lie in Kirigakure, so why would Konoha be any different? Every time Utakata thought about it, a new deluge of possibilities entered his mind.

For the millionth time, the possibility that he had made a mistake popped up. _Are they really ready for the chuunin exams?_

Utakata wanted Harusame. Since he was a small child, the older man had always known how to calm Utakata down. Sitting in the waiting lounge, he would give almost anything for a cup of tea and a few comforting words.

"So you're the Kirigakure shinobi everyone has been talking about."

Utakata opened his eyes to stare up at the face of a middle-aged man wearing a Sunagakure hitai-ate. The man threw him a sneer that reeked of condescension.

Utakata glanced back at the clock. Only twenty minutes were left for the exam. "Who's asking?"

The other shinobi scoffed. Without invitation, he collapsed on the sofa, sitting next to Utakata. Shameless, he spread his legs out wide before crossing one leg over his knee. "Name's Akanin. I already know who you are, though. Who doesn't? _Utakata-kun_."

Utakata resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It seems like my reputation precedes me."

The man laughed, loud enough that a few nearby jounin instructors turned their heads. "You sure are confident, aren't you, _boy_?" He sneered again. "It's not often we get such young contestants in chuunin exams."

"In Konoha?"

"Or Suna." The man nodded before scooting slightly closer. "How old are they? Seven? Eight?"

"The girl is eleven and the boys are ten," Utakata answered, forcing his face to remain unchanged.

"Wow, so young." The man smirked. "And it seems like you're not much older yourself. I'm going to guess... sixteen? seventeen?"

"Eighteen," Utakata answered through gritted teeth. It stung that the other shinobi had not been that far off the mark.

"Wow! So young! You must be very talented!" Utakata could almost smell the smug superiority. "Making jounin is already a big accomplishment. I can only imagine becoming one at _your _age!"

Utakata only hummed, not wanting to dignify the other shinobi with a response. He hoped it would give the other man a hint that he wasn't in the mood for conversation. Instead, his silence only seemed to spur the other man on.

"You know, my team is quite experienced," the man bragged. "We've been working together for over a year now."

_My team has, too._

"They are quite talented. I'm sure they will be great shinobi one day."

_My students as well._

"They're under a lot of pressure to show off their strength to the rest of the world though."

_You have no idea what kind of pressure my students are under._

Utakata tried to tune the man out as his thoughts returned to agonizing over his students. _How are they doing now? Have they already failed or passed? Will there be a hidden component to their exam?_

He resisted the urge to start tapping his foot on the floor.

"Well, Sunagakure will host our own set of chuunin exams in the fall," the man continued. "When your children fail, I'm sure that Sunagakure will give you all a chance to sign up."

"They won't fail." Utakata gritted his teeth and clenched his hands before he lunged upon the other shinobi.

The man turned to him with a simper on his face, eyes full of doubt. "It sure is nice that you young people have faith in the impossible."

_Would I start an international incident if I stabbed him?_

Utakata grunted before looking away and glaring at the clock, willing it to move faster. _Ten minutes left._

Undeterred by Utakata's complete silence and obvious anger, the other man continued. "I'm sure you think that the Land of Wind is made up of nothing but sand. You probably don't like sand and think it's coarse, rough, irritating, and gets everywhere."

_Nine minutes._

"But that's not the case. There are many great things about the Land of Wind."

_Eight minutes._

"For instance, we have some really great food. You haven't _lived _until you've eaten some spiced goat curry with flatbread."

_Is he on the board of tourism? _Utakata forced his brain to tune the other man out. He guessed the other shinobi liked the sound of his own voice too much

Time crawled and the hands of the clock only seemed to move slower and slower as the other ninja prattled on. Despite his earlier self-control, he began to tap his foot on the floor. _These eight minutes feel like a century._

"Of course, that's even assuming your little children will be able to travel to Sunagakure in the first place." The man cleared his throat. "After all, danger lurks even on the journey there. I'm not sure if a group of brats could handle it. Wouldn't want them to die on the journey there, would you?"

Utakata tore his gaze away from the clock, unsure how to react to the newest set of mocking words. However, before he could draw out a kunai, the door leading into the waiting lounge opened. As one, all of the jounin instructors turned to look.

Izumo, the man from the first day, entered. He held a clipboard in his hands that obviously contained the test results. Despite years of training, every jounin in the room tensed, anxious to hear their results.

"If I call your name, please step forward." The young ninja looked down at the papers in his hands and cleared his throat. "Muneate, Tokara, Raido..." As he began to call out names, the jounin stood up and walked to stand in front of him, faces impassive.

Utakata waited for his name, and sure enough, he was the last person called. Without glancing back at the annoying Sunagakure man, he stepped forward, wedging himself between a woman from Suna and a man from Konoha.

"For the instructors standing in front of me, congratulations," Izumo said, a hint of a smile on his face. "Your teams have successfully completed the first stage of the chuunin exams and will be allowed to move onto the second stage."

Utakata breathed a sigh of relief and he heard the other jounin instructors at his side join in. _They did it. They're moving on_.

Izumo, Utakata's new best friend, turned his attention to the remaining jounin in the room. "To everyone else, I am afraid to tell you that your teams did not pass the first stage. Your students have been disqualified."

Utakata followed his gaze to look back at the instructors who had not been called. He was unsurprised that less than a quarter of the teams had been able to pass the first stage.

His eyes wandered over to the jounin from Sunagakure. He was gaping at Utakata, jaw wide open and body frozen in place. It was a sight Utakata vowed to remember forever: an arrogant man watching a group of "brats" outshine him.

"Please follow me for further instructions," Izumo continued, not dignifying the remaining jounin with so much as a glance, before walking out.

As one, the successful instructors followed after him, Utakata exiting last. He glanced back at the man one last time.

Unable to control himself, Utakata threw a smirk at the man frozen on the sofa before walking out.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Order whatever you want!" Utakata ordered with a smile, pointing toward the menus. "I'll pay."

"Thanks, sensei!" Kasumi beamed at him before burying her nose in the list of beef cuts, looking for the most expensive items. "Are you sure you don't mind if we get tenderloin?"

Utakata shook his head, a smile still pasted on his lips. "Order whatever you want," he reiterated while his wallet cried out in fear.

Kasumi glanced at him with a raised eyebrow before shrugging and focusing back on the list of meat options. Next to her, Haku skimmed through the entire menu, pointing to ingredients he wanted. At Utakata's side, Kimimaro focused his attention on the list of vegetables, frowning whenever he stumbled upon an unfamiliar kanji.

Soon after leaving the examination building, he had offered to take his team to celebrate their advancement to the next stage. Shrugging, they had decided to visit the same shabu-shabu restaurant as before.

With his students safe and unharmed, Utakata was too relieved to do more than smile at them.

"What was the first stage of the chuunin exams like, anyway?" he asked, passing the order form over to Kasumi.

"It was a written exam," she said as she wrote down the two most expensive cuts of beef available.

"But the questions were too hard, so we had to cheat," Haku added, adding tofu and noodles to their order.

"Cheat?" Utakata raised one eyebrow, leaning back on the booth chair. "_You_ had to cheat?" He had always considered Haku the most intellectually gifted of the three students. For him to not know the answers was a surprise.

"That was the point of it, sensei," Kasumi continued. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin in the palms of her hands. "We _had to_ cheat in order to advance."

Kimimaro nodded. "The proctor said it was a test of our intelligence-gathering abilities." He checked off a long list of vegetables to go along with their meal.

"I put some of my ice mirrors on the ceiling to see what other students were writing," Haku explained. "And then I copied their answers."

Utakata hummed in admiration, looking at Haku with a raised eyebrow. "That's smart." He called over a waitress and handed over their order before turning to his other two students. "And how did you two manage to finish the exam?"

"We copied Haku-kun," Kasumi and Kimimaro said at the same time with twin shrugs.

"You... copied Haku?" Utakata crossed his arms in front of his chest with a sigh. He was glad they were relying on each other, but...

Kasumi nodded, unashamed. "Yeah, Haku made mirrors on the ceiling that let us copy his test."

"I noticed there was ice overhead when I felt some cold water dripping on me," Kimimaro added.

_So Haku is the only smart one here then._

Utakata sighed. "Well, at least you all passed."

"The last question was a trick though," Kasumi continued. "We had to cheat for the first nine questions and wait until we could hear the tenth question." She began to mix different condiments inside her small dipping bowl. "So we got a choice."

"A choice?"

Kimimaro nodded. "The proctor said we had two options before we heard the final question." He followed Kasumi's lead and added some sesame paste to his dipping bowl. "We could either stay and listen to the final question or leave and have the opportunity to take the exam again."

"Oh, so you stayed."

Kasumi shook her head. "There was a catch. If we stayed, the proctor said that the person with the lowest point score in our team would be disqualified and would be forced to quit being a ninja." She scrunched up her nose with distaste at the thought.

"We couldn't let that happen," Haku continued. "Either we all advanced or we all failed. "It's just like you told us, sensei. Whether we win or not, we will all return to Kirigakure together." He smiled, his eyes closed in happiness.

"It's all of us or none of us," Kasumi reiterated with a giggle.

Kimimaro only hummed in assent, a faint smile on his face.

Utakata felt his throat getting choked up and he swallowed. _They really did take my words to heart._

Utakata cleared his throat, hoping his voice remained unchanged. "I'm glad," he said with a smile before clearing his throat again. "And do you know what the next stage of the chuunin exams will be?"

Kasumi frowned, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. "I think it's some sort of survival exercise," she guessed. "We were told to go to his place called Training Area Forty-Four tomorrow at noon. We weren't told anything else though."

Utakata hummed to himself. "I haven't gotten much information about the second stage either," he admitted. "But it does sound like some sort of survival exercise. You should use the sealing scrolls your brother gave you to take things that could be useful."

"Like extra medicine," Haku said.

"Or a tent and sleeping bags," Kimimaro added.

"Extra food and weapons would also be helpful," Kasumi ended.

Utakata nodded his approval. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the waitress arriving with their order.

Together, they cooked their ingredients in the broth and ate, talking about what they wanted to take to the second stage.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu sneezed at the cold, rubbing her gloved hands over her arms and shivering.

After hiding away for two years, she was returning to Takigakure, accompanied by her instructors and guardians. Takumi walked at her side while Mariko followed next to him. Kegon led the way while Yoro trailed behind, both men on the lookout for danger.

Originally, Takumi had wanted to leave Fuu at the compound with Yoro and Kegon for company. But circumstances outside of his control meant Fuu needed to accompany them to the village.

Fuu had progressed enough in her training with Chomei that she had mastered the version one transformation. When transformed, she had more power and speed than the average jounin, although her chakra control still needed improvement. With her ability to work with Chomei, it was imperative that Shibuki learned about her progress.

There were also other practical reasons. Most of Fuu's clothes no longer fit her anymore and there were few things they could do to make them last longer. Plus, Mariko had told her that she needed to start wearing a bra. Fuu was not looking forward to that particular milestone, however. Yugito had told her bras usually sucked.

"It's so cold, Takumi-sensei!" she whined, taking a step closer to the man. "How much farther?"

Takumi chuckled before placing a warm hand on top of Fuu's head. "Not much longer," he promised. "Have you already forgotten where Takigakure is located?"

She pouted up at him. "It's not my fault I haven't been to Taki since the whole thing where I was almost _kidnapped_! Besides, we left in the summer! How am I supposed to recognize it when there are, like, five meters of snow on the ground?"

"I think it's closer to a few inches, Fuu-sama," Yoro muttered from behind them, his voice both exasperated and amused.

"You tend to exaggerate a lot, Fuu-sama," Kegon added from the front.

Fuu stuck her tongue out at them in turn but didn't refute their words. In her mind, she heard Chomei chittering in delight.

"Fuu," Mariko called out from Takumi's other side with a shake of her head and a sigh. "What is the name of our village?"

"Takigakure?" Fuu tilted her head to the side, trying to understand what her kunoichi instructor was getting at.

"And what does Takigakure mean?"

"Village Hidden in the Waterfall?"

"Do you hear or see any nearby waterfalls, Fuu?"

"Oh. Right." Fuu felt her face heat up and she frowned before she remembered something else. "Wait, does that mean we're gonna have to swim _under _the waterfall to get into the village?"

At the front, Kegon chuckled. "I'm sorry to say we'll have to, Fuu-sama. Can't you ask your bijuu to warm you up, though?"

'_I don't know, can I?'_

'_**If you use a chakra cloak, it will help protect you from the elements,' **_Chomei answered. _**'It should keep you dry as well.'**_

"Chomei says they can help. The chakra cloak will keep me warm and dry."

"I wish I had a chakra cloak," Takumi lamented, staring up at the sky. "I'll have to burn some of my reserves to stay warm, I guess."

"You could always drink the hero water, sensei," Kegon suggested. "Then you could get your own chakra cloak."

"Do you want me to die?" Takumi raised one eyebrow as he stared at the younger man.

Kegon only chuckled and shrugged, shaking his head.

Takumi sighed as he started to walk faster. "Well, we're very close to the waterfall now. Let's go."

Wanting to get inside as soon as possible, Fuu followed along, using her wings to propel her faster.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu kicked her feet up and down in the air, waiting for Shibuki to finish whatever meeting he had in his office. Bored, she stared up at the cloudy sky.

Takumi sat on the stairs next to her, watching Fuu with a fond smile. They had arrived at Takigakure, swimming under the ice-cold tunnels to enter.

Waving goodbye to her three other guardians, Fuu and Takumi had gone to Shibuki's office to give their progress report. However, they had found the office door closed, the man in a meeting. With matching sighs and hungry grumblings, Fuu and Takumi waited on the stairs outside the administration building.

To their relief, they didn't have to wait much longer before the front door to the building opened and a dark-skinned man walked out. It took Fuu only a second to recognize him as Ryuu, the man who had been on the same team as her mother.

The man, Ryuu, froze at the top of the stairs to blink at Fuu and Takumi before a frown formed on his face.

"Takumi." Ryuu met his ex-teammate's eyes without flinching before turning his attention to Fuu. "Fuu." His frown deepened when he looked at her but he said nothing else.

"Ryuu!" Takumi bolted up, standing protectively in front of Fuu before she could say anything.

'_**What does that man want?'**_ Chomei's voice was filled with uncharacteristic anger.

Fuu felt her heart beating faster inside her chest. She remembered meeting Ryuu six years earlier before enrolling at the Academy. The man had been cold and rude to her back then, although that was not unusual for people who knew she was a jinchuuriki. Still, Chomei and Takumi's opinion of the man was unusual.

_'What's going on?'_ she asked Chomei.

The bijuu, for once, did not attempt to answer one of her questions.

"I see you two are back in the village," Ryuu continued, unintimidated by Takumi's tone. "I assume you are returning tomorrow?"

Takumi nodded curtly, still standing in front of Fuu. "Though I assumed _you _wouldn't care, seeing how you've stayed silent after all these years."

"Is there anything you think I needed to say? Would knowing the truth make a difference?"

"It might if you had kept your promises."

Ryuu crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Some promises are impossible to keep."

Takumi snorted. "I think I'm doing better at keeping _your _promise."

Ryuu scoffed at that, hands clenching into fists as he glared at Takumi.

Fuu bit her lip, her gaze turning from Ryuu to Takumi and back again. Their conversation was flying over her head and Chomei's anger only added to her confusion. _Why are Takumi and Chomei so angry, anyway?_

Swallowing to gather her courage, Fuu stood and climbed a step up so she stood in front of Takumi. She looked up at her caretaker's face, which was full of conflicting emotions. In her mind, she could only hear a chirping sound that sounded full of anger.

Forcing a smile onto her lips, Fuu looked up to meet Ryuu's green eyes.

"You were in the same team with my mother and Takumi-sensei, right, Ryuu-san?" she said in a polite voice. "It's very nice to formally meet you." She bowed her head down, hands crossed over her lap.

Discomfort flashed through Ryuu's eyes at her words and he swallowed. "It's nice to meet you, too."

Fuu grinned, trying to ignore the sound of Chomei's chirping changing from anger to absolute fury.

"We have to talk to Shibuki-sama now," Takumi said, grabbing onto Fuu's shoulder.

"Ah, yes." Fuu let herself be led away.

She glanced back one last time. Ryuu stood at the top of the stairs, watching Takumi and Fuu with a strange look in his eyes.

"Goodbye, Ryuu-san," Fuu managed to say. She saw Ryuu nod in acknowledgment before Takumi led them out of his sight.

"You don't have to talk to that man, Fuu," Takumi said through gritted teeth as he slammed the front door closed behind him. With his hand tight on Fuu's shoulder, he led her down the hall toward Shibuki's office.

Fuu frowned and blinked up at her teacher. "Why?"

Takumi stopped in the middle of the hall and chewed on his lip, seeming unsure how to answer her question. "He doesn't have your best interests at heart," he finally answered.

"Oh, I already knew that, Takumi-sensei," Fuu replied. "He was really rude the first time I met him. But Mariko-sensei said that a kunoichi needs to hide her emotions."

Takumi smiled at that. "Mariko-sensei is really smart. Make sure to listen to her."

"I will," Fuu promised with a solemn nod. Together, they continued down the hall toward the village leader's office.

'_**You can't trust that man,' **_Chomei added as they walked. _**'It's best to forget about him completely.'**_

Fuu frowned. _'But why? Did he do anything to me?'_

Chomei paused to consider Fuu's question before answering. _**'He has hurt others with his actions.'**_

Fuu's frown deepened. She could not remember Chomei ever being so vague before. The bijuu always said what they thought. Was there some sort of secret Fuu wasn't supposed to know?

"Welcome back, Fuu-san!" Shibuki's tired yet cheerful voice interrupted her thoughts.

Brought back to the present, Fuu looked at Shibuki sitting behind his desk. She greeted him with a grin. "It's good to be back."

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fuu and Takumi's meeting with Shibuki lasted only a few minutes.

As the leader of Takigakure, the young man was busy and had many important things to do. Despite the mountains of work, however, he had agreed to dinner with Fuu and the rest of her instructors.

"I sent a letter to my mother that we would be arriving today," Takumi said as they walked down the snowy streets of Takigakure. "She'll be excited to meet you. I've written a lot about you to her."

"Really?" Fuu's eyes brightened as she stared up at her teacher. "What kind of stuff did you say about me, sensei? How I'm super smart and fast and strong?"

Takumi chuckled. "Honestly, mostly about your obsession with bugs. I'm still not sure how you can like those things."

Fuu huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Bugs are really cool."

"If you say so, Fuu." Her teacher sighed. "Oh, you're going to buy some clothes with Mariko-sensei after lunch, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We agreed to meet in front of the administration office. She said she'll take me to the clothing store by-"

Her words died on her lips and she froze when she saw the two people standing in the middle of the street. She felt the breath leave her lungs and her jaw drop open in surprise.

"Fuu?" Takumi frowned as he stopped next to her. She felt his curious gaze on her before following her line of sight.

Panicking, Fuu realized she needed to run away but by then it was too late. Takumi grabbed onto her shoulder and started to push her down the road.

"Hana! Rin!" Takumi shouted the names of her ex-friends, placing Fuu in front of himself.

"Takumi-sensei?" As one, both Hana and Rin turned toward the sound of his voice. Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw Fuu standing there. "Fuu?"

After two years, the two girls were a lot taller than she remembered. Rin's short blonde hair was longer, growing down past her shoulders. Hana's hair had gone the opposite route, her lavender locks cropped into a short bob.

Betrayed, Fuu turned her blushing face up to glare at Takumi, but the man pretended not to notice. She turned her attention back to the two girls.

"Oh... uh... hi Hana. Hi Rin." Forcing a panicked grin on her face, Fuu gave the two girls a small wave.

"Fuu!" Hana either ignored her apprehension or didn't notice it because she took a step forward, a grin on her face. "It's nice to see you after..." a hint of some strange emotions flashed across her face and she swallowed. "After so long!"

"How are you doing, Fuu?" Rin asked next, her lips quirked up in a forced smile.

"How am I- uh... what?" Fuu, for once in her life, had nothing to say. She blinked at the other girl, trying to figure out what had changed since she left. _They didn't even let me talk to them back then._

She gaped up at Takumi in search of guidance.

Takumi was of no help. He hummed, his eyebrows creased in contemplation as he looked at the three girls.

"We're doing pretty well, girls," Takumi answered after a few seconds with a smile that could mean anything. "Fuu and I have been training together for a while."

"Ah, that's right, you're a full-fledged ninja now, aren't you, Fuu?" Hana asked, the same unsteady grin on her face. "I'm jealous! Rin and I still have to wait almost three more months to take our graduation exams!"

At her side, Rin nodded, a hesitant frown on her face.

"Well, we're very happy to see you here in Takigakure, Fuu," Rin said, speaking up from Hana's side.

_Liar!_

Hana nodded, still grinning. "Yeah! Shibuki-sama told us you would be visiting soon, so we've been waiting for you!"

_You're a liar, too!_

Despite her annoyance, Fuu's tongue was frozen. Unsure if she should cry, rage, or scream, she only blinked at the two girls in front of her.

"Well, girls, it was nice to see you again, but I must be going." Takumi's voice broke through the awkwardness.

Fuu looked up at her teacher in relief, a smile forming on her lips. _I'm saved!_

"You can talk to Fuu for a bit," he continued, ignoring when Fuu's expression changed into one of betrayal. "I have to pick something up from the store." He looked down at Fuu, a calculating smile on his face. "Have fun!"

With that, he flickered away, leaving behind only awkwardness and a cloud of smoke. Abandoned, Fuu turned her attention to the ground, failing to figure out how to put her chaotic thoughts into words.

"So how are you doing, Fuu?" Rin broke the silence first, taking a step closer.

Fuu refused to answer. Not wanting to think about the two other girls, she stared at her feet. She made a mental note to buy new boots with Mariko. The ones she was wearing were a bit too tight.

"We weren't sure when exactly you would be back, so we've been hanging around this area for a while," Hana added. "Cause we wanted to bump into you."

"We wanted to see you," Rin reiterated.

"Yeah, we wanted to talk," Hana agreed.

To Fuu's shock, their voices sounded sincere. Awkwardness settled over the three of them, leaving them silent in the otherwise empty street.

Still, Fuu said nothing. Her tongue refused to unstick itself from the roof of her mouth. She looked at the snow around her and tried to calculate if enough of it had settled to make a snow replica of Chomei.

_I wonder what Takumi-sensei's mother is going to make for lunch._

The longer Fuu refused to answer, the more awkward the silence became. Hana tried again.

"We wanted to apologize for the way Rin and I treated you back at the Academy, Fuu," she said.

At that, Fuu bit her lip, but she still refused to look up.

"We were just kids, but that doesn't excuse what we did to you," Rin added.

"We should've stuck with you."

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry, too."

Fuu grabbed onto the hem of her skirt with her fists, still afraid to meet their eyes. How was she supposed to react to that kind of apology?

"It's not like it's _your _fault," Rin continued despite Fuu's lack of response.

Hana grunted in agreement. "Yeah, it's not like you _chose _to have a monster sealed inside of you."

The last statement finally managed to loosen Fuu's tongue. "Chomei is not a monster!" she shouted, looking up from her feet for the first time since Takumi left.

She was met with stupefied looks from Hana and Rin, who stared at her with their eyes and mouths open in shock. Fuu felt the blood rush to her face, embarrassed at her sudden outburst, but she refused to look away.

"I mean...'' Fuu swallowed, trying to figure out how to best defend her friend. "Chomei is not a monster. They're a creature composed of huge quantities of chakra created by the Sage of Six Paths himself. They have their own personality, likes, and dislikes, and..." she gulped again, grasping the hem of her skirt into tight fists. "And they really care about me."

'_**Thank you, Fuu. You really are the cutest.'**_

Fuu felt her face heat up again, that time in happiness._ 'Thank you, Chomei. I love you.'_

'_**I love you, too.'**_

At her outburst, Hana and Rin said nothing. They blinked at her, jaws slightly agape. Rin raised one eyebrow while Hana frowned. Fuu resisted the urge to fidget in place. _And I thought it was already awkward._

"W-well, if you say so, Fuu," Rin finally said, her voice full of skeptic disbelief.

"I mean..." Hana swallowed, trying to make sense of Fuu's words. "I guess bijuu might not be evil?"

Fuu shook her head. "They're not." She ignored the small voice in her head that reminded her of Kurama and Shukaku.

Quiet settled over the three of them as they stood in the snow. Fuu, unable to control herself any longer, started to fidget, her feet leaving imprints on the snow. _Okay, now what do I say?_

"Anyway, we really mean it when we say we're sorry, Fuu," Rin said. She extended a hand out as if to grab onto Fuu's shoulder but stopped herself before they could make contact.

Hana grunted to emphasize Rin's words. She took a step forward, reaching for Fuu. Unlike Rin, she grabbed onto Fuu's hands, meeting her eyes without hesitation. "We want to be your friends, Fuu! Can we try again?"

Fuu flinched at the sudden physical contact. "T-try again?"

Rin nodded, stepping next to Hana and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We want to be your friends again," she said. "Can we give it a shot at least?"

Fuu felt blood rush to her face. In her mind, Chomei giggled in delight. _They really want us to be friends?_

Her tongue still malfunctioning, she nodded, sure that her face was as red as Roshi's hair. She cleared her throat. "Okay."

At that, Hana and Rin gave her twin smiles of happiness.

"Thank you, Fuu!" Hana said, her grin threatening to break her face in half. "Wanna go get breakfast tomorrow? You're leaving in the afternoon, right?"

Fuu nodded, still too numb to talk.

"So we'll see you tomorrow morning at my house?" Rin asked.

Fuu nodded again. In her mind, Chomei's giggling increased in intensity.

With her confirmation, Hana and Rin gave Fuu one last smile. As one, they turned around and walked down the street, waving their hands in goodbye.

"See you later, Fuu," Rin said, flashing her one last smile.

"See you tomorrow!" Hana shouted, waving her arms back and forth through the air.

Unsure what else to do, Fuu lifted up a hand and gave them a weak wave in return. Despite the lack of enthusiasm, the two girls' grins widened. Glancing back one last time, they turned the corner at the end of the street, leaving Fuu standing alone in the snow.

Fuu blinked at the spot where her ex-friends- friends?- had disappeared, feeling like she was stuck in a dream. _What just happened?_

'_**You made up with your friends, that's what happened.'**_

_'I mean, yeah, but...'_

"So you're going to have breakfast with your friends tomorrow morning, then?"

Fuu looked up at her teacher, a pout on her face. "Sensei! I can't believe you left me alone!"

Takumi shrugged, unashamed. "I thought it would be best. Congratulations on making up with Hana and Rin."

Fuu crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed, looking off into the distance. "So mean," she mumbled.

Her teacher only chuckled at her reaction before placing his hand on her head and ruffling her hair.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I swear, I didn't intend to make the "preview" at the end of the last chapter sound so ominous XD **

**I've actually never had shabu-shabu, but it's apparently pretty much the same as Chinese hot pot, so I based the experience of eating in that kind of restaurant on that.**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. Someone made so really cute fanart! You can find it on my Tumblr or by checking out the latest chapter of this fic on Archive of Our Own.**

**Morket is the nicest person I know and he's super duper cool and an amazing beta reader.**

**Next chapter: Utakata gets insomnia.**


	40. The Ties That Bind

**In which Naruto plays cat's cradle.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Lying on the bed in his new accommodations, Utakata closed his eyes, trying to forcibly slow his heart rate and let sleep take him. He took deep breaths, tossing and turning in bed. Nothing happened.

With a groan, he opened his eyes, staring up at the darkness above him. He gritted his teeth. Defeated, he swept his legs over the side of the bed, stood up, and walked toward the tiny window in his temporary room. He looked out at the trees that surrounded the tower at the center of Training Area 44- the aptly-named Forest of Death.

Utakata sighed, placing his forehead down on the windowsill. He had been a fool.

_It doesn't matter the country. A shinobi is a shinobi._

The day after the first stage, his students had woken up early to prepare for the next stage. Following an early lunch, they had gone to Training Area 44. As their teacher, Utakata had stayed behind, waiting for further instructions from Konoha.

At the time, he had expected the second stage to be a walk in the park for his students. After all, peace-loving Konoha would never put their genin in grave danger, right?

The short-haired woman named Anko had dashed his hopes with a sledgehammer.

Hours after his students had set out, the remaining jounin had gone to the tower at the center of Training Area 44. There, they had been told the full details of the second stage- giant blood-sucking slugs and all.

It had taken all of Utakata's self-restraint not to scream. How else was he supposed to feel about his students trying to survive in a place called the _Forest of Death_? With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Utakata and the remaining jounin instructors settled down to wait for news of their students' success- or failure.

The longer he waited, the more he worried. Less than forty-eight hours were left and he had yet to hear any news, positive or negative.

_I thought Konoha was overprotective, but it's not true. It's been three days already. Why have I heard nothing from them?_

With a sigh, Utakata turned his attention to the clock hanging above the door of his room. It was almost twenty minutes past three in the morning.

He groaned, rubbing at his temples, and then walked back to the bed and sat on the edge. Ever since arriving at the tower, Utakata had been perpetually restless, unable to get more than a few brief moments to sleep.

Any time he closed his eyes, thoughts of his students failing, thoughts of his students in pain, or thoughts of even worse came to mind. The images never left his brain for long. Alone, he spent his days and nights pacing in the room Konoha had provided, agonizing like a widow waiting for her husband to return from war.

He massaged his temples and collapsed atop the bed. After three days of waiting, he was not going to get any sleep until his students returned safe and unharmed. At that point, it was useless to try.

He placed his arms down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. There was a small gecko crawling next to the lone lightbulb. He doubted that it was spying on him, but in a shinobi village it was impossible to tell.

He watched the creature crawl around the ceiling, moving closer to the residual heat in the lightbulb. _I wish I were a gecko. Then my life would be less troublesome._

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Utakata-sensei?" a deep voice called out.

"Yes?" Utakata sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache incoming.

"We have news about your team."

Utakata bolted out of bed and ran toward the door. He was ready to open it when he remembered the importance of appearances. Taking a deep breath, he unclenched his hands and opened the door, forcing his face into a calm mask.

"News?" Utakata repeated, his expression neutral. "What sort of news?"

The man in front of him was tall, a beard on his face and a cigarette on his lips. He nodded. "They arrived at the tower a few minutes ago."

Utakata copied his nod, feeling his stomach turn over in fear. Kimimaro, Kasumi, and Haku might have arrived, but the man had said nothing of their condition. Were they injured? Maimed? On the brink of death?

"May I see them?" he asked, his voice struggling to stay clear.

The Konoha shinobi grunted in assent. Without saying anything, he walked away, gesturing for Utakata to follow behind him. Together, they headed to the stairs and began to descend, walking slower than Utakata would have liked. After what felt like hours, they arrived at the large entry area, pushing a door open.

Inside the entrance, his students stood together, their backs turned against the door, talking to one another. Their heads spun around once they heard the door open behind them.

"Utakata-sensei!" the children said at the same time, their faces brightening up at his presence.

Utakata felt the blood drain from his face. Kasumi stood at the center of the room, her green dress stained red and her right eye bandaged.

Forgetting about the presence of the Konoha ninja, he ran to her, panic racing through his veins.

"Kasumi!" he shouted her name, grabbing her shoulders and crouching down in front of her. "What's-"

He let out a sigh of relief. Apart from the bandages covering her eye, she looked unharmed, if perhaps a bit tired. She stared at him in a combination of surprise and disbelief.

"Sensei?" Kasumi didn't bother to pull back from Utakata's grip. "What are you-" She gulped before glancing down at her own dress and smiling. "Oh, right. I forgot. Sorry, sensei."

Relief replacing the panic in his veins, Utakata turned his attention to the two boys of their team. Up close, they looked as unharmed as he had hoped.

"Well, I couldn't help it," Utakata grumbled. "Imagine if Kimimaro or Haku had been shown up covered in blood instead."

Kasumi giggled, although her amusement seemed forced. "It's not _my _blood, sensei."

Utakata huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, standing up to his full height. "I can see that _now_," he muttered before turning his attention to Kimimaro and Haku. "And are you two okay?"

The two boys nodded, suppressing yawns.

"We kept getting attacked," Kimimaro complained, trying to rub away the sleep in his eyes.

"They thought we would be easy prey," Haku added, a sad smile on his face. "We proved them wrong often enough, though."

At those words, Kasumi flinched and looked down at her feet, her hands grasping onto the fabric of her dress. Based on the large stain on her clothes, Utakata already had a good idea of what had happened. He made a mental note to talk about it later once they were alone.

Utakata sighed before placing a hand on top of Kimimaro's head, making the boy look down at the ground. "Well, it's almost four in the morning. Now that we're all inside the tower, you're safe. I guess we should go to bed."

Exhausted, the three children nodded and hummed in affirmation. With only a smile, Utakata turned his attention to the man that had brought him news of his students.

The Konoha shinobi nodded, his expression inscrutable before turning around and leaving. "I will show you to your accommodations for the rest of the second stage."

Yawning and rubbing at their eyes, Kasumi, Kimimaro, and Haku followed behind Utakata. In silence, the Konoha shinobi led the way toward their room. Together, they walked up a set of stairs and down a hallway. They said nothing until the Konoha man opened a door that led into a dorm room.

It was even smaller than Utakata's basic accommodations on the upper floors of the tower.

Opposite the door was a small window that looked out to the forest. Two narrow bunk beds were placed close to the walls. From a glance Utakata could tell the mattresses would be lumpy and uncomfortable. Other than the beds, three cheap wooden chairs acted as the only other furnishings. Partially hidden behind one of the bunk beds was a door that led to the bathroom.

_Well, it's not as nice as our hotel suite, that's for sure._

"This will be your room for the remaining two days," the other man explained, his attention focused on the three children. "Your jounin-sensei will be able to guide you around the facilities." With a final nod, the man left, closing the door behind him and leaving Utakata's team together alone at last.

Utakata breathed a sigh of relief, staring down at his students. His body felt lighter and he was unable to keep his face from breaking out into a smile. "I'm guessing you three want to sleep now."

His question was met with tired nods and yawns.

"I'd like to take a shower first, though," Kasumi admitted. "I'm... not sure if it's a good idea to get into bed like this." She glanced at the crest of blood staining her dress.

"I understand. There should be a bathroom at the end of the room." He headed toward the corner of the room, opening a door that was half-hidden behind one of the bunk beds and glancing inside. "They only have cleansing powder thought. Do you need me to bring any toiletries for you?"

Kasumi shook her head, eyes staring straight ahead in front of her. "I'm fine, sensei. I just..." she swallowed. "Need to rinse off."

Without saying anything else, she walked past Utakata, entering the tiny bathroom and locking the door behind her. Utakata frowned to himself. Based on the comments from his students, he already had a good idea of what had happened in the Forest of Death. Kimimaro and Haku had both taken human lives before, even if the boys had never given him the full details. Kasumi, as far as he knew, had never killed anyone.

_It's hard for all of us._ He vowed to talk to her about it later. For the moment, she needed to rest.

Utakata turned his attention to the two other children. They stood by the door, swaying and trying not to yawn, waiting for Utakata's instructions.

"I guess you two are going to sleep now?"

The boys seemed to consider the question before glancing down at themselves. With matching sighs, they shook their heads.

"I think I need to take a shower too, sensei," Haku said, sounding uncharacteristically annoyed. "Three days of living in the wilderness is not a good way of staying clean."

At his side, Kimimaro nodded in agreement, covering his mouth with a hand when he yawned. "I wish I could take a bath." He pouted, looking more childish than Utakata could remember for a long time.

Utakata snorted. _Don't I know that feeling?_

"You can clean up in my room," Utakata offered the boy before turning his attention to Haku. "And you, Haku? Want to wash up in my room?"

Haku shook his head. "I need to change the bandages on Kasumi's eye," he said. "So I'll wait for her to finish before cleaning up myself."

Utakata frowned and hummed to himself. "I noticed that. Is it a serious cut? She didn't seem bothered by it."

Haku considered his question for a few seconds before answering. "It's not a debilitating injury," he began. "It's just a flesh wound. Although I'm sure it will leave a scar." He bit his lip. "But I'm a little worried about her mental state," he admitted.

"I am too. She's... more quiet than usual," Kimimaro added, a frown on his face as he began to play with the sleeve of his yukata.

Utakata hummed to himself. "I will discuss the situation with her later," he vowed. "For now, I want you three to get some rest. We will talk more tomorrow."

"Yes. Thank you, sensei." Haku bowed his head down. He moved past Kimimaro and Utakata to sit on a chair next to the bunk beds. Yawning, he leaned his head against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.

Utakata grabbed onto Kimimaro's shoulder and led him out. "Well, make sure to take care of yourself, Haku. You're more than just our medic."

Haku replied with a faint smile as Utakata walked out, pushing Kimimaro in front of him and closing the door behind them. The two of them found the stairs in silence and took them to Utakata's room.

"The shower's over there." Utakata pointed toward a door at the corner of his room. "Do you need anything?"

Suppressing a yawn, Kimimaro shook his head. "No. I think I'll be fine, sensei. Thank you."

Without saying anything else, the boy headed toward the bathroom and closed it behind him. A few seconds later, Utakata heard the tell-tale sound of the shower faucet.

With no one to see him, he let out a deep sigh before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

_They're safe. That's all that matters. _Overwhelmed, he placed his face inside the palms of his hands, holding back tears of relief.

He rubbed at his eyes, a yawn forming at the back of his throat. After three days of restlessness, the lack of sleep was catching up to him. He suspected that he would be dead to the world for the next twenty-four hours or so.

Finally at peace, he closed his eyes and listened to the comforting sound of the shower running in the other room.

Kimimaro was there. Exhausted and worn, but alive and safe. That was all that mattered.

The sound of flowing water disappeared and Utakata's attention returned to the present. He stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"Sensei?" Kimimaro's unsure voice called out from inside the bathroom.

"What is it?" Utakata rubbed at his eyes, trying to force himself to stay awake until Kimimaro returned to his room.

"I forgot to bring a change of clothes," the boy admitted, sounding embarrassed.

Utakata hummed to himself. He reached into one of the pockets on his jounin vest, taking out a small sealing scroll. "Is it okay if I come in, Kimimaro?" he asked.

"It's fine, sensei."

Utakata stepped inside. Kimimaro stood in front of the small sink, wrapped in a towel and trying to dry his hair with one of the cheap rags Utakata had been provided.

A wave of relief rushed through Utakata one more time upon seeing the boy. Was it possible to keep him safe for the rest of his life? _He's alive. He's... good._

"Here's a sealing scroll. I packed a few extra clothes just in case." Utakata handed over the gift.

"Thank you, sensei." Kimimaro took the offer and left the bathroom. He placed the scroll atop the bed, opening it and pulsing chakra when he got to the right seal. With a puff of smoke, a clean set of clothes appeared atop the bed.

Without saying anything else, the boy began to dress, shivering at the temperature. Utakata turned away to give him as much privacy as possible.

He stared through the window out at the aptly named Forest of Death.

How close had Utakata's students been to dying? How many times had they seen death in the face? What had they done to survive?

Utakata crossed his arms over his chest, hands clenched into fists. "How many times were you attacked, Kimimaro?" He heard rustling as the boy pulled on his clothes.

"I'm not sure, sensei. We lost count after the tenth attack."

"You... you got attacked that many times?" He swallowed.

"I think they thought we would be easy targets because we're the youngest team." Utakata heard Kimimaro yawn. "But they usually backed off when we defended ourselves. We-" The boy's sentence was interrupted by another yawn.

The sound of rustling clothes ended and Utakata turned around to look at his student once again. Kimimaro stood next to his bed, dressed in a clean yukata. Despite standing, the boy's head was nodding, on the cusp of falling asleep at any second. Exhausted, he used the cheap towel to try and dry his hair.

A strange feeling passed through Utakata's body. Without thinking, he walked toward Kimimaro, wrapping his arms around him in a hug. If anything had been different, their casual lunch before the second stage would have been the last time they would have each other alive.

"S-sensei?" Kimimaro hesitated for a second before returning Utakata's embrace with a hug of his own. "What is it?"

Utakata shook his head. "Nothing. I'm..." he swallowed. Perhaps the lack of sleep was affecting his brain because Yugito's words dashed through his mind.

_Tell him you love him._ He could almost imagine Yugito's exasperated face as she bossed him around.

He shook his head to rid himself of the mental image. "I'm glad you're safe. Kasumi and Haku, too."

"Y-you are, sensei?" Kimimaro's question sounded too incredulous for his taste. "You... were worried about me?"

_Does he think I don't care about him?_

"Yeah, I really was," he confessed. "If anything had happened to you, I... I don't know what I would have done. I... I..." he swallowed again, feeling his face heat up. "I really am glad you made it out safe and sound."

_I'm a coward. Three words and I can't even say them._

Unaware of Utakata's inner turmoil, Kimimaro tightened his hug. "Thank you, sensei," he whispered into his vest.

Utakata grunted. "You don't have to thank me." He gulped, Yugito's words refusing to leave his brain. Still, he could not say them out loud.

He ran a hand through Kimimaro's hair, the touch making the boy's grip on his midsection tighten. He wished he could have Kimimaro in his line of sight for the rest of his life. He never wanted to worry about his safety so much ever again.

Still, he had to let go eventually, so he loosened his grip, running his fingers through his hair one last time before disconnecting.

"Sleep well, Kimimaro. We'll talk more tomorrow."

With the hug ended, Kimimaro gaped up at him, eyes open wide. His mouth opened, as if to speak, but no sound came out. Finally, with a blush on his face, he looked down at his feet and nodded.

"Good night, sensei."

Glancing back once, he left Utakata's room and headed toward his own, closing the door behind him. Utakata stared at the place where the boy had disappeared. After three days, the ball of anxiety eased enough for him to smile and mean it.

With a sigh, he collapsed on the bed, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto glared at the string entwined around Fuu's fingers. With a frown, he pinched the corners where the string intersected. He glanced at Fuu for confirmation.

"Like this?" he asked.

She nodded, beaming at him. "Yup! And now you transfer the string to your hands."

With a gulp, Naruto moved the string over to his own fingers. To his amazement, it formed a new pattern of crisscrossing lines.

"Hey! That's really cool, ya know!" Naruto pulled his hands farther apart, making the string taut.

"Takumi-sensei told me how to do it," Fuu explained, her hands free. "He said it's a game called cat's cradle."

"Can I try?" Gaara asked, crawling to sit closer to Naruto. His eyes glittered in excitement as he stared at the string pattern in Naruto's hands.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! But I don't know how."

Fuu moved to Gaara's side, guiding his hands. "Use your pinky fingers and pull the string here and here." She pointed at two different places where the string intersected.

Frowning in concentration, Gaara followed her instructions. A few seconds later, a completely new pattern adorned Gaara's hands.

"Takumi-sensei said it's good training for hand seals," Fuu explained. "He said it was mandatory training at the Academy before I joined."

"Makes sense," Gaara muttered, staring down at the pattern in his hands. "I only use seals for a few techniques though. The sand usually moves on its own."

"Yeah and- Utakata nii-san!" Before Fuu had a chance to say anything else, she bolted up, a grin on her face as she stared over Naruto's shoulder. She ran toward the new arrival.

"Nii-san?" Game forgotten, Naruto stood up, a grin already on his face as he followed behind Fuu, Gaara close at his heels.

None of them had seen Utakata since New Year's, but that was not unusual. The older shinobi had responsibilities and missions that meant they could only join the Room at certain times. For instance, Naruto had only seen Han, Roshi, and Yagura in passing the last few days.

"Fuu, Gaara, Naruto." Utakata greeted them with a lazy wave. He took an involuntary step back when Fuu jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Naruto followed her lead, grabbing onto Utakata by the midsection as Gaara tried to wrap his small body around all three of them.

"Kids, it's only been ten days since we saw each other," Utakata whined. Despite his complaints, he didn't break away from their embrace.

Fuu giggled. "I'm still glad to see you, nii-san."

Utakata's face softened and he placed a hand atop Fuu's head. "I'm glad to see you, too, Fuu."

"Are you gonna play with us, nii-san?" Naruto asked. "Gaara just got here so he can stay with us for one more hour, ya know." While Utakata complained about playing with them, Naruto could tell he enjoyed their time together.

Utakata sighed and shook his head. "No, I have something more important to talk about."

"Important?" Fuu repeated.

The three children tensed, expecting bad news. But to Naruto's relief, Utakata only seemed faintly embarrassed about something. He scratched the back of his neck before turning his attention down, focusing on Naruto.

"The truth is that I'm in Konoha right now," the man admitted.

"Konoha?" Fuu, Gaara, and Naruto shouted at the same time.

Naruto gaped up at Utakata, who had an uncertain frown on his face.

The older jinchuuriki nodded. "I've... actually been in Konoha since the new year," he confessed, an uncertain smile on his face.

"Since the new year?" Naruto repeated. He took a step back and glared up at the man. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Utakata shrugged. "I had a few more pressing matters to attend to," he explained. "My team is currently taking the chuunin exams in Konoha. That took precedence."

"Chuunin exams?" Naruto tilted his head to the side. He was sure he had heard of that before. Perhaps from Han or Roshi.

"There are chuunin exams in Konoha?" Fuu's eyes glittered in excitement.

One of Utakata's eyebrows rose at Fuu's tone but he said nothing about it. "Yes. Though I don't think that's something _you _need to think about for now."

Fuu shrugged. "If you say so, nii-san."

Utakata shook his head, obviously disbelieving but not wanting to say anything. "Anyway, since I had to focus on my team, I didn't have time to meet up with you." He scratched the back of his neck. "But now that I know that they're advancing to the final stage and we will stay in Konoha for one more month..." He trailed off.

Naruto connected the dots. "You're gonna be in Konoha for a whole month?" he shouted, gaping up at the older jinchuuriki.

Utakata nodded. "Yes. I wanted us to meet up. Maybe in a couple of days?"

"In a couple of days?"

"Yeah, in a couple of days." Utakata crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Actually, I saw you once soon after we arrived in Konoha," he confessed. "But I didn't want you to say anything... unfortunate when you saw me."

"You saw Naruto-kun?" Fuu asked. She turned her gaze between Utakata and Naruto, her jaw falling open in amazement.

"Yes. He was with that friend he always talks about. Sasuke. That kid looks like he's got a stick up his butt though."

Naruto giggled. _Nii-san's right about that_.

"So where are we gonna meet?" Naruto asked. Jumping up and down in place, he grabbed onto one of Utakata's sleeves. Even the mere possibility of meeting the older jinchuuriki was more than he could stand.

"I don't know. It doesn't really matter." Utakata shrugged again. "But there is one thing that is very important." His expression grew serious as he met Naruto in the eye. "We need to practice how you're going to act when we see each other. I don't want either of us to be sent off to Torture and Interrogation if you give a strange reaction."

Naruto shook his head vehemently. "I won't!" he promised. "I just wanna meet you, ya know!"

Utakata hummed to himself, his gaze focused on Naruto. He glanced at Fuu and Gaara next, who had been standing next to Naruto in silent support.

"In that case, we need to practice how you're going to react," he concluded. "Gaara can pretend to be your friend Sasuke while Fuu can pretend to be one of my students."

"Ooh! A pretend game! That sounds fun!" Fuu said. She giggled before turning her attention to Gaara. "Won't that be fun, Gaara-kun?"

At her side, Gaara nodded, his eyes also shining with excitement.

"It's not a game," Utakata muttered, although he didn't seem bothered by her words. He turned his full attention back to Naruto. "I think we should meet at the ramen restaurant you like. One of my students has been wanting to go there for a while."

"Ichiraku Ramen?"

"Yeah, there. That's where I saw you, actually."

Naruto chuckled. "I go there as often as Mama and Sasuke will let me," he admitted. "But I'll make sure to go there in a couple of days, ya know!"

Utakata nodded, satisfied with Naruto's answer. With that agreement in place, the four jinchuuriki spent the next hour in the Room, playing a pretend game together.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Roshi pulled the lever, praying to whatever deity that might be listening for success. With bated breath, he watched the pachinko balls ricochet off of each other in the machine and fall down. None entered the winning bins.

He cursed under his breath. _Fuck. Lost again._

Grimacing, he glanced over at Han sitting next to him. Unlike Roshi, the tall man had won a few rounds, more pachinko balls in his bin than from the beginning.

"How much have you made so far, Han?" he asked, staring at his friend's winnings in jealousy.

Han shrugged, making his armor- worn even inside the casino- clang with the movement. "Just lucky, I guess. How are you holding up? Are you going to make us millionaires?"

Roshi snorted. "Catching that slimy snake would've been easier."

Han huffed, the loss of Orochimaru still a sore spot. "The bastard was slimier than we anticipated."

Roshi sighed before pulling the lever on the pachinko machine a few more times. The metal balls shot out, falling down the machine, few landing in the correct receptacles. His winnings came out in a small number of pachinko balls: a marginal profit.

"Where's Kaito, anyway?" Han asked. A small stream of pachinko balls came out of the machine, his total profit rising slowly but steadily.

Roshi shrugged, his eyes focused on the machine in front of him. "As long as he doesn't lose us a shit-ton of money again, I don't care what he does." He shuddered at the memories.

_We can never go back to that town again._

In the last casino they had visited, Roshi had lost them a few hundred ryo playing cho-han, a gambling game with dice. Yagura had mocked him, scoffing when Roshi dared Yagura to make back his winnings. With a smirk, Yagura had taken Roshi's remaining money and joined a group playing the game.

Thirty minutes later, Han had been forced to carry Yagura out when he refused to stop playing despite losing thousands. Red-faced and ashamed, Han and Roshi had been chased out as Yagura yelled accusations of cheating, barely restrained in Han's grip.

"Don't worry, I only gave him a couple of hundred ryo," Han said. "There's no way he can get into trouble with a couple of hundred ryo."

"I sure hope so," Roshi muttered. "But that man can make the impossible possible." With a final sigh and a shake of his head, he stopped pulling at the lever, exhausted by the thought of continuing. "Well, I might as well go find him. See how he's doing."

Sitting at the tiny chair next to him, Han hummed in thought. "Sure. I'll go cash my winnings and then find you two. I guess it's about time for us to retire for the night anyway."

"Sounds good. Combine it with what I have left." Roshi handed over a bin half-empty with pachinko balls.

Han took the bin without a word, combining Roshi's winnings with his own. "See you in a bit then."

Roshi waved goodbye, already walking away. "See you."

Tired of playing, Roshi began to wander around the casino in the search for Yagura. As he walked, he watched the people, most under the influence of mind-altering substances. They laughed, drank, and gambled, the stakes only increasing as they played their games.

'_Gambling is too addicting.'_ he complained. _'Yagura is getting into it, though. Even if that man is the unluckiest motherfucker I've ever met.'_

'_**I still can't believe that man was a Mizukage.'**_

'_Neither can I.'_

'_**Weren't you three supposed to be looking for one of the Sannin?'**_

Roshi hummed to himself._ 'We keep getting distracted by the shiny lights,' _he admitted. _'It's not like we have any leads except for the fact that the legendary Jiraiya and Tsunade apparently like these kinds of places.'_

The monkey king scoffed. _**'You and your human vices. You should be training instead.'**_

Roshi had to agree with the bijuu. _'We also need more money and Han is decent at getting us a few extra ryo to spend.'_

_**You need to collect bounties. They're more fun to watch than you humans playing your little games.'**_

'_I'll make sure we hunt for bounties next no matter what Yagura says,'_ he promised. _'I heard of these two brothers from Kirigakure that are worth a pretty penny.'_

'_**Acceptable.'**_

With the bijuu satisfied, Roshi wandered through the casino in silence. He froze when he heard a snippet of conversation from some of the patrons.

"That's the worst luck I've ever seen in a person. It's like cheating but in reverse."

"He's lost the last ten rounds and he still keeps trying."

"How is that even possible?"

"He started to gamble without money."

"Yeah! He started to take off his clothes!"

Cold sweat began to drip down Roshi's back. _Oh no. That sounds like Yagura._

Roshi broke out into a light jog, a concerned frown on his face. If there was anyone who could get in trouble with a couple of hundred ryo in a casino, it was Yagura. He followed the giggles toward a corner of the casino.

The blood rose to his face when he saw the commotion that so many patrons had been talking about.

In one corner of the room, Yagura was screaming at a casino employee, his pants the only thing keeping his modesty in place. In front of him, the game dealer spoke in a forcibly calm voice, one eye twitching in annoyance. Yagura's loud words had attracted a small crowd, although security personnel had yet to arrive.

"You must have been cheating! There is no possible way that I lost every round!" Yagura pointed an accusatory finger at the man in front of him.

"Sir, as I have told you many times before, no one is cheating. It seems you have encountered a bit of an unlucky streak." The fake smile pasted on the dealer's face made it clear he was at his wit's end. "Also, I am afraid I must end the game now. You have nothing else to gamble with."

Yagura grimaced, looking more annoyed than Roshi could remember. "Wanna bet?" His hands moved toward the waistline of his pants.

Roshi was there before Yagura had unclasped the top button. "Y-Kaito!" he shouted. His face burned with shame and he heard delighted giggles from the onlookers. "What the _fuck _do you think you're doing?"

"Ah, Roshi!" Yagura turned to Roshi, eyes wide with surprise. He turned his attention back to the dealer, who sighed in relief at Roshi's interruption. "I was just trying to make some money, but the dealer kept cheating!"

"And that required you to take off your clothes?"

"I ran out of money to gamble with."

Roshi pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "I think you just have the worst luck of anyone I've ever met, Kaito."

Yagura huffed.

Roshi crossed his arms in front of his chest, giving the shorter man the same glare he used to get Naruto to eat vegetables. "Let's just leave. You caused enough mayhem as it is. Han made us enough for a night or two at an inn. Let's meet up with him."

Yagura opened his mouth as if to argue, but a single look quelled his protests. Pouting like a naughty, reprimanded child he nodded. He glared at the dealer one last time, following after Roshi without a word.

Giggles followed their departure and Roshi had to force himself not to look down at his toes in shame.

"Can you believe he was about to take his pants off?" an older woman said, giggling to herself.

"How far do you think he would have gone to keep playing?" the woman's companion replied.

"Is it possible to _have _that much bad luck?"

Roshi tried to ignore the amused snickers with no luck. _Maybe Han and I should have gone on our own quest instead._

"You're the unluckiest motherfucker I've ever met in my life!" A drunk man with a bottle of beer in one hand yelled out as Roshi and Yagura walked past. Roshi couldn't help but agree.

"Even worse than that blonde chick with the huge tits!" the man's friend added. He took a long swing of beer and swayed in place, looking even drunker than his friend.

"Wait, what? Huge tits? Blonde?" The man's words caught Yagura's attention and he turned to the two men, his concerns about his bad luck forgotten. "Who did you see?"

The two men seemed taken aback by Yagura's sudden interest in them. Their eyes struggled to focus on the short man standing in front of them.

"What's it to you?" the less drunk of the two asked, giving them a suspicious squint.

Yagura shrugged. "We're just looking for a woman and we don't have that much to go on. Except that she's... gifted." He made a vague motion in front of his chest.

Roshi resisted the urge to hide his face in embarrassment. A lead was a lead. _What a stupid lead, though._

The drunker of the two friends broke into giggles. "Gifted is an understatement!" he slurred. "Biggest tracts of land I'd ever seen! If you get my drift!"

The first man snorted. "Yeah, but unlike you, the lady didn't take off her shirt." A wistful look entered his eyes.

"What can you tell us about her? What did she look like?" Yagura's voice became pure business. "Do you remember anything else about her?"

The drunker man became pensive, swaying side to side. He started to rub at his chin, trying to recollect the woman.

"Well, she had a pretty face but a diamond thing on her forehead," he began. "Blonde hair in these cute little pigtails."

His friend snorted. "Don't remember the face too well," he admitted. "Our eyes were focused... elsewhere." He giggled to himself before taking another swing of beer.

_What do you know? That matches everything we know of the famous Tsunade._

"How long ago did you see her?" Roshi asked. He took a step closer to the two men, his heart beating fast in excitement.

The men's eyes tried to focus on Roshi with limited success.

"Saw her... What? A week ago?" the drunker friend said. "Or maybe two weeks ago? Maybe a month? I can't remember for sure."

His friend sighed. "Just last week. Got kicked out fast enough when she started to lose. Said she was gonna go to Tanzaku Quarters instead."

_Tanzaku Quarters? Why is it always that place?_

"Tanzaku Quarters?" Yagura repeated. "She has good taste."

Roshi sighed again. _Of course Yagura would like that town._

"I don't suppose you remember her name?" Yagura asked.

The drunker man nodded, his leer sending a shudder down Roshi's back. "Yeah, she said her name was Tsunade."

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Yagura at a casino was more fun to write than it probably should have been.**

**The "Naruto plays cat's cradle" scene was inspired by a piece of fanart by lnmei on Tumblr. I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Morket is an amazing beta reader and super duper nice.**

**Next chapter: Sasuke eats ramen.**


	41. Power Lunch in Konoha

**In which important conversations are had.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Utakata held back a yawn as he listened to the Third Hokage prattle on about alliances, history, and war. To keep himself awake, he glanced over at the genin that had survived the Forest of Death.

Only three teams had advanced to the finals, including Utakata's students. Now, the nine genin stood in formation as they listened to the Hokage ramble about war and peace treaties.

Unlike Utakata, his students gave the old man their full undivided attention. Haku's face was impassive as he absorbed every word. Kasumi, half her face still covered in bandages, took mental notes, her brow furrowed in concentration. Behind both of them, Kimimaro barely blinked as he listened to the Hokage.

_Well, I'm sure that if the old man says anything important, they'll tell me. _He suppressed another yawn.

"The final stage will take place one month from now." The old man sounded like he was getting ready to wrap up. "We will now decide on the tournament brackets. But first, is there anyone here that would like to drop out of the competition now?"

No one moved.

Utakata resisted the urge to roll his eyes, wanting the whole thing over so his team could return to their hotel. What kind of idiot would quit when the final stage was so close at hand? Especially when they would have a month to rest and prepare?

"Yes, I would like to withdraw, sir." A boy with silver hair and large round spectacles raised his hand. "I'm exhausted and battling has never been my strong suit. Thank you very much for the opportunity."

"Kabuto, is it?" the old man stared at the boy that had spoken. "This is your first attempt at the chuunin exams. Are you certain you wish to withdraw?"

The boy smiled and nodded. "I'm sure."

The Hokage grunted. "Well, in that case, you are dismissed. Follow one of the proctors who will lead you out."

The young boy bowed his head down as a final form of respect. He pushed his glasses up his nose and turned around, leaving the other shinobi behind. None of the genin, including his own teammates, turned to watch him walk out.

Utakata frowned to himself. _Well, that's one weird kid. I wonder why he really quit. He didn't look too injured and he must have been good enough to survive the forest at least._

The Hokage continued. "Is there anyone else who wishes to withdraw?" He waited a few seconds but when no one else said anything, he nodded. "In that case, we will now decide the tournament brackets. Hayate?"

A young man leaped forward to stand in front of the remaining genin.

"Hello everyone." He coughed a few times. Utakata saw Haku give the man a concerned frown. "My name's Hayate Gekko and I'll be the proctor for the final stage of the chuunin exams." He coughed again and Haku's frown deepened.

"With one withdrawal, we have exactly eight participants," he said with a cough. Utakata could tell Haku was holding himself from offering medicine to the sickly man. "Which means we have a perfect tournament. Now we will draw lots to decide the order."

At that, a proctor with deep scars adorning his face and wearing a bandana stepped forward. He held a box out in front of him. "There are balls here numbered one to eight. Your place in the tournament will be decided by the number you draw."

With that, he walked toward the genin closest to him— a girl that hid her face behind a high collar and dark sunglasses. She pulled out a ball marked with the number five.

After her, the rest of the genin took turns to draw their own ball. He saw Kimimaro take out a ball marked with eight while Haku drew a one and Kasumi a four.

"Now that you all have your numbers, take a look at your opponent," Hayate said with a cough. "You will have one month to prepare and train before the final stage begins. Good luck." With one final cough, he disappeared, leaving behind only a cloud of smoke.

Standing behind the Hokage with the two other jounin instructors, Utakata watched as his team scoped out the competition.

Haku stared impassively at his future opponent: a girl carrying three identical puppies on her head and shoulders. She raised an incredulous eyebrow when she saw how young Haku was. Kimimaro and Kasumi's opponents— two haughty-looking boys— seemed to share the same sentiment.

_They're probably wondering if my kids even deserve to be here._

"Well, with that, I declare the second stage concluded," the Hokage announced. "You will have exactly one month to rest, prepare, and plan for your matches. Good luck. You are dismissed."

Everyone bowed their heads toward the old man. The Hokage gave them all an enigmatic smile before walking away and leaving the stage.

**O-O-O-O-O**

With an exhausted sigh, Utakata collapsed on the hotel sofa as soon as they entered. Eyes closed, he heard Haku giggle while Kasumi huffed in exasperation.

"You're so lazy, sensei!" Kasumi complained for what might have been the thousandth time. "I think you sleep more than a cat!"

Utakata had no desire to dispute her words. He suspected she might be right. "I'm just going to take a quick rest," he promised. "You three should rest, too. Maybe take a bath?"

"A bath?" Kimimaro spoke up. His voice sounded wistful.

Utakata grunted. "Yeah. A bath." He closed his eyes to sleep when a sudden thought occurred to him. He sighed to himself. "But first let's make sure we're all on the same page on a few things." With a groan, he sat up and gestured for the children to join him in the living area.

Kimimaro sat on the sofa next to him while Haku and Kasumi pulled over two chairs from the dining table.

"What would you like to talk about, sensei?" Haku asked, eyes focused entirely on Utakata. His serious expression, copied on the faces of his teammates, told Utakata they expected bad news.

"A few things," Utakata began. "But let's get the most important thing out of the way first." He frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

At once, his three students tensed, expecting the worst.

Utakata focused his attention on Haku. "Happy birthday, Haku." He smiled. "Though it's more like a belated happy birthday," he mumbled to himself. "Considering how you were in the Forest of Death for the actual day."

"That's right! I forgot! Happy birthday, Haku-kun!" Kasumi jumped up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Haku's neck.

Kimimaro followed her lead. He stood up and walked toward Haku. He hesitated for a second before placing one hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Happy birthday," he muttered, an unsure frown on his face.

Haku blinked at his teammates before turning his attention to his lap, face flushed. "Th-thank you, sensei." His hands began to fidget over his lap. "I had forgotten it."

"To be honest, I forgot too," Utakata admitted. Hoping that the boy survived the Forest of Death had overshadowed thoughts of birthday celebrations. "But now that we're together again, we can find time to celebrate. Is there anything you want to do?"

His eyes still focused on his lap, Haku hummed to himself. "I can't really think of anything," he admitted. "I kind of just want to relax for a while. I'm still a bit tired from the second stage."

Utakata let out a breath of relief. Trying to organize a last-minute birthday party sounded one step away from torture. "Well, with that out of the way, there are a few other things we need to talk about." He lounged back on the sofa, arms cradling the back of his head.

Seeing him relax, Kimimaro returned to his place next to Utakata while Kasumi sat back down in her chair.

"What else do we need to talk about, sensei?" Kasumi asked. "Is it about the final stage?"

Utakata nodded. "You already know who you will be fighting, right?"

"Kioshi Ito," Kimimaro said. Utakata got a vague memory of a brown-haired boy with a sword sheath hanging from his waist. Considering the number of hours Kimimaro spent sparring with Kasumi, he doubted the boy would struggle in a kenjutsu match.

"Takanome Hyuuga," Kasumi continued with a huff as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "He didn't look so tough though. But if he has the doujutsu that Ao-san has..." A worried frown formed on her face.

"I'm fighting against a girl named Hana Inuzuka." Haku grimaced to himself. "I think she specializes in fighting with dogs since she had three puppies with her."

_Well, I'm glad they remember their names. I couldn't be bothered._

"Prepare yourself to fight them," Utakata ordered. "You can try some intel gathering to find out more, but I suspect it's unnecessary." He shrugged. "I think you three are strong enough to deal with anything that comes your way." _And if you're not, I'll jump in before things get bad._

Kasumi giggled. "Thank you, sensei." She gave him a smile that reminded him of Yagura.

Utakata cleared his throat. "Anyway, you're lucky that none of you will be fighting each other for the first round," he continued. "However, chances are that sooner or later, you will end up on opposite sides of the field."

"Oh, right. I guess I hadn't thought about it much." Nervous, Haku swallowed before glancing at his two teammates.

Utakata understood his hesitation. Haku disliked fighting his teammates, even in friendly spars. While he was willing to do what was necessary on a mission, he never liked to hurt others.

Sensing Haku's inner turmoil, Kasumi leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee.

"We'll be fine, Haku-kun," she said with a comforting smile. "I know you won't do anything to really hurt me and I won't either. Doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you, though!" She threw Haku a smirk.

"Right, Kimimaro-kun?" She spun around to look at the boy sitting next to Utakata.

Startled to be called so suddenly, Kimimaro's eyes widened. "R-right." He swallowed and began to fidget with the sleeve of his yukata. "I... I won't hurt either of you. But..." His hands became steady over his lap. "I won't go easy on you either."

Kasumi laughed. "That's what I wanna hear!"

Utakata cleared his throat again and his students turned their attention back to him. "I'll step in if anything starts to go wrong," he promised. "But for now, you will have a month to prepare and train. Since you will have to face each other eventually, I think it's best that we cease team drills and exercises for now."

"No more team drills and exercises?" Kimimaro repeated, a betrayed frown on his face.

"Just for a month," Utakata answered. "I'll spend an hour with each of you individually every day instead. We'll use those sessions to practice anything you want. How does that sound?"

To his surprise, he was met with shocked expressions.

"Are you sure you can handle three hours of work in one day, sensei?" Kasumi's voice was full of mock concern. "I think the exertion might kill you."

While Haku and Kimimaro said nothing, their eyes told Utakata they agreed with her assessment.

_Cheeky little... Is this what I get for making fun of Yagura so often?_

Utakata resisted the urge to pout by nodding. "Our individual training sessions will be private and personalized," he continued. "I'll keep any secret techniques confidential from your other teammates. I won't compare your progress or tell you how to defeat each other either. You will have to come up with those strategies yourselves."

"I see." Haku nodded. "So we can discuss anything new we're developing and you won't tell anyone?"

Utakata shook his head. "Not a soul. At least, not until the exams are finished and we return to Kirigakure."

"Thank you, sensei," Kasumi said, her smile sincere. "I appreciate it."

"Thank you, sensei." Haku and Kimimaro echoed her words, nodding at him in acknowledgment.

_Well, at least they're grateful._ "Of course, I recommend you train and practice on your own as well," he continued. "But not too much. See more of the village. Go to the hot springs. Eat barbecue. Talk to people. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff to do here."

"Wait, can we get ramen, sensei?" Kasumi asked. "I wanted to try it but you made us get shabu-shabu instead."

Utakata nodded, his heart beating faster as he thought of the plan he had made with Naruto to meet up. _I didn't even have to make the suggestion myself._

"Sure. Later. Tonight. Anyway, let's rest for now. We can go get ramen for dinner." Utakata collapsed back on the sofa. "Go take a bath. A real one."

"A bath?" Kimimaro's voice sounded wistful once more.

"Yeah." Utakata closed his eyes and waved at his students to disperse. "I'm gonna take a nap for now. Wake me up when you finish."

"Yes, sensei!" He heard the sounds of his students walking away.

"Just leave some hot water for me," he ordered as they left.

"Yes, sensei!" Kasumi shouted as the students entered their bedroom and shut the door behind them.

Alone in the living room, Utakata let out a deep breath full of relief.

With Utakata and his students safe once again in the village, the time had come for him to meet Naruto.

Since learning about Utakata's plan to meet in Konoha, the boy had been vibrating in excitement. They had spent hours rehearsing how they were going to react, with Fuu and Gaara acting as Naruto's friend Sasuke or as Utakata's students.

After all that practice, Utakata was sure the boy was ready. Or at least, he hoped so. _I guess there's only one way to find out._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke was starting to think that Naruto was going crazy.

For the past two days, the other boy had been vibrating in excitement. But whenever Sasuke asked about it, Naruto had refused to give a compelling reason as to why.

Instead, the other boy had rambled about the newest episode of _The Steel Samurai_ and about the transformation jutsu. Sasuke thought neither of those two things was worth the excitement.

"Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen tonight for dinner!" Naruto declared as soon as they arrived at the training grounds with Hinata. "It's Friday and we gotta celebrate the weekend, ya know!"

"You're already thinking about dinner, loser?" Sasuke grumbled. He started to do a few stretching exercises against a wooden post. "We just got out of school."

Naruto huffed and pointed an accusatory finger in Sasuke's direction. "That's just 'cause you're too boring to decide what we eat!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes but said nothing. While he always grumbled about their weekly trips to Ichiraku, he liked going to the restaurant. The owner Teuchi and his daughter Ayame were the only people other than Hinata that he actually liked. They treated Naruto and Sasuke as any other customers— no hateful glares at Naruto or pitying glances at Sasuke. The fact that the food tasted good was a nice bonus.

"I wish I could go with you two," Hinata said, a small frown on her face. "But Father doesn't like for me to be outside of the compound after dark. He says it's dangerous."

"That really sucks, Hinata-chan!" Naruto began to jump up and down in place. "At least you can train with us, ya know!"

Hinata smiled. "Yeah, at least."

"Enough talking," Sasuke said. "Let's fight."

He hadn't finished stretching when Naruto threw the first punch.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" Naruto ran toward the ramen stand, pushing past the curtain and sitting at one of the stools.

Sasuke followed after him with a fraction of the enthusiasm.

"We come here at least once a week," Sasuke mumbled as he sat on the stool on Naruto's side.

"But something special is gonna happen this time!" Naruto said, eyes shining with excitement as he bounced on his stool. "I can feel it!"

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes. Knowing Naruto, something special could be as minor as getting an extra narutomaki in his ramen or as major as a surprise attack on the village.

"Just order your food, loser." Sasuke leaned on his elbows, placing his chin on top of his interlocked fingers.

Sasuke caught Naruto rolling his eyes out of the corner of his own eye. Despite his annoyance with Sasuke, Naruto got ready to order.

"Teuchi-san! Teuchi-san!" he shouted, waving back and forth with more excitement than Sasuke could remember. "I want one bowl of chashu pork ramen, please!" He turned toward Sasuke. "And what do you want, jerk?"

"Miso."

"And one bowl of miso ramen!"

"Of course!" The man smiled at both of them before returning to his work behind the counter. "Coming right up!"

Giggling to himself, Naruto began to bounce in his seat. For some inexplicable reason, his eyes began to wander, as if searching for something or someone.

"What are you looking for, loser?" Sasuke asked. "If you're looking for your brain, I think it's been gone for a while."

Naruto pouted. Annoyed, he stopped looking around and spun to glare at Sasuke instead. "Shut up, jerk! As if you're that smart!"

Sasuke scoffed. "Then stop looking around! You've been acting like an over-excited puppy these last two days. It's weird."

"I haven't been acting weird!"

"You have!"

"I haven't!"

"You have!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

Naruto scowled, getting ready to continue his denials when someone sat at the stool next to him. Sasuke stopped the argument to frown at the person that had joined them at the counter. No one ever sat next to Naruto.

"I heard good things about this place," a young man wearing a standard shinobi uniform and sporting an unfamiliar hitai-ate said. He was tall and thin, with pale golden eyes and dark hair that obscured part of his left eye.

The stranger glanced at Naruto and Sasuke before turning his attention to the menu on the wall. "I think I'll have the chashu pork ramen. What do you three want?"

At that, Sasuke turned his attention to the people that the stranger had been talking to. Three children, two boys and one girl, sat on the remaining seats at the counter. Like the man, they sported the same hitai-ate, the two boys over their foreheads and the girl over her waist.

"I don't know, sensei," the girl said, squinting up at the menu, one eye covered behind bandages. "Everything looks good."

"I would like a bowl of miso," the boy with dark hair said.

"Same for me," the white-haired boy added. "But without meat, please."

Sasuke turned his attention back to his blond friend. Naruto was frozen, eyes wide open. Without saying anything, he slowly turned to look behind him. Still silent, he gaped up at the man sitting with them at the counter.

The man with the unfamiliar hitai-ate noticed Naruto and Sasuke staring at him. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to look at them. "Good evening," he said, his voice cool and polite.

_Why is someone from a different village talking to us? Does he want something?_

Sasuke frowned. "Evening."

Unable to say anything, Naruto stared at the man in awe, as if he would disappear at any moment. From behind the man, Sasuke saw the three children staring at the awkward moment taking place. Still, no one broke the silence.

After a few seconds, the man frowned. "Cat got your tongue, kid?" he asked. "You're just staring at me."

The question took Naruto out of his stupor and he shook his head. "G-good evening," he managed to stutter. "It's just..." he swallowed. "I've never seen someone wearing a hitai-ate like that before, ya know."

"Hm. I suppose you wouldn't." The man broke eye contact with Naruto to wave over Teuchi from behind the counter. "Kirigakure only signed a peace treaty with Konoha last year."

Kirigakure? Sasuke glared at the four Kirigakure shinobi, one hand wandering down to his weapon pouch.

He remembered Shisui talking about the brutality of Kirigakure shinobi once. According to Shisui, they took babies from their mothers and sacrificed them to their strange gods. They sharpened their own teeth in order to bite people's throats and drink their blood. They survived off of human flesh and lay with beasts, although Sasuke wasn't sure what the last thing meant.

However, seeing the four Kirigakure shinobi ordering ramen, he started to suspect that Shisui had lied to him. _They don't look like cannibals to me. Their teeth aren't even sharp._

"My name is Utakata," the man said once he finished telling his order to the man behind the counter. "We're here for the chuunin exams."

"Chuunin exams?" Sasuke thought he had heard about it before, though he could not remember where.

The man hummed and nodded. "Just so you don't think we're here to attack your village or anything." He sighed and placed his elbows on the counter. "Anyway, these are my students: Kimimaro." The white-haired boy sitting next to Utakata nodded, his face betraying nothing. "Haku." The dark-haired boy smiled. "And Kasumi."

At the end of the counter, the dark-haired girl grinned and waved a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"My name is Naruto. Nice to meet you, too," Naruto introduced himself, still gaping in awe at the man next to him.

"Sasuke." He kept one hand resting on his weapon's pouch.

"Anyway, we heard the ramen here was good, so we had to give it a try," Utakata said. "I don't suppose you can vouch for this place?"

Like a switch, Naruto perked up and he grinned. Sasuke groaned, getting ready for yet another lecture on ramen. Getting Naruto to talk about his favorite food was the most direct method to get his friend to open up.

"Yeah! The ramen here is great, ya know!" he began to ramble in excitement. "I like the chashu pork ramen the best, but the miso ramen is great, too! Oh, now that it's winter you should ask Teuchi-san to add a little corn and butter to your ramen. Makes it taste way better."

"Butter? In ramen?" the girl at the end of the counter asked. "Who puts butter in ramen?"

"Hey! Don't knock it till you try it! It's better than it sounds! Especially in the winter!"

"I mean, corn I get, but butter?" the girl continued, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"The butter makes the broth rich, ya know!" He clenched one hand into a passionate fist.

Sasuke sighed. Once Naruto got started, he could spend hours talking about his favorite dish.

To Sasuke's great relief, the rest of Naruto's speech was cut off when Teuchi placed two hot bowls of ramen in front of them. Naruto could do a lot of things, but arguing while he chewed was not one of them. Together, they thanked the man for the meal and dug in.

"I'm guessing you two are looking to become shinobi yourselves," the man said, his full attention focused on Naruto.

Sasuke gave the man a sharp nod, blowing on his hot noodles. Still wary, he kept his peripheral vision focused on the Kirigakure shinobi, one hand close to his weapon pouch. It was the first time he had ever seen any foreign ninja and Shisui's words couldn't stop bouncing around his head. Yet...

They did not seem any different from other shinobi apart from their hitai-ate. Their teeth looked normal and everything. Sasuke turned his attention toward his meal, a ball of disappointment in his stomach._Shisui was a liar then. _

Naruto chewed furiously before swallowing. "Yeah! And I'm gonna become Hokage one day, ya know!"

The man hummed to himself. Unlike every adult Sasuke knew, he did not scoff at Naruto's declaration. Instead, he seemed to be giving Naruto's dream some consideration.

"It's a long road ahead of you," Utakata said. "It's a thankless job with long hours. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Naruto huffed. "I can do it!"

"If you say so." Utakata's reply sounded more encouraging than disparaging. Sasuke's opinion on the man skyrocketed and he took his hand away from his weapon pouch.

Sasuke was about to say something when bowls of ramen were placed in front of the man and the three children. As one, they turned their attention to the meal in front of them.

"Thank you for the meal." The Kiri shinobi thanked Teuchi before taking their chopsticks and digging in.

"Oh, sensei! That weird lady was right! The ramen here really is good!" The girl at the end said after taking the first bite. Content, she took a long slurp of noodles.

Naruto scoffed. "Of course! Teuchi-san makes the best ramen in the world, ya know!" He glanced behind the counter to look at the chef, who was washing his chopping block. "Isn't that right, Teuchi-san?"

The ramen chef laughed. "If you say, Naruto-kun."

"Isn't that right, Sasuke?" Naruto turned his attention back to Sasuke, eyes shining expectantly.

To placate his friend, Sasuke nodded before taking another bite of noodles. He had yet to try every single ramen in the world, but he doubted they could find anything better than Ichiraku. "It's good."

Naruto giggled. "See! Even Sasuke says it's good."

"I believe you, Naruto-kun," Utakata said as he took a bite of pork and swallowed. "It's the best ramen I've had at least. What do you think, Kimimaro, Haku, Kasumi?"

The girl grinned while the dark-haired boy hummed his affirmation. The white-haired boy only nodded his agreement, face impassive.

Naruto's face became pink and he grinned in satisfaction before returning his attention back to his bowl. He kicked his legs under the counter as he slurped his noodles.

"So how long are you gonna stay in Konoha, nii-san?" Naruto asked after he finished chewing.

Sasuke saw a small frown form on the white-haired boy's forehead. Neither Naruto nor Utakata seemed to notice.

"We will stay here until the chuunin exam finals," Utakata answered. "I assume you're going to watch them?"

"Chuunin exam finals?" Sasuke spoke up, curious despite himself. "What are those?"

Utakata focused his attention on Sasuke for the first time. "It's a tournament. Genin fight each other to demonstrate their skills. The ones that are able to prove their abilities are promoted to chuunin at the end. All three of my students will be. I'm sure of it."

"I see." Sasuke studied the man's three students down the counter. They looked young, three years older than Naruto and Sasuke at the most. Then again, Ita— Shisui had become a jounin at ten. A lot of things were possible.

"Course we'll watch, nii-san!" Naruto shouted, gripping his chopsticks tight in his hands. The white-haired boy frowned again. "Where is it?"

"It's gonna be at the stadium in the center of the village," Utakata answered. "The Hokage and the Mizukage will be there, as well as a bunch of other important people. A lot of rich people with too much time on their hands like to watch."

"Wow! That sounds fun, nii-san!" Naruto giggled.

Sasuke could have sworn he saw the white-haired boy's grip on his chopsticks tighten.

"We're fighting against genin from Konoha," the girl added before slurping some noodles from her bowl. "Probably won't be getting cheers from the audience, to be honest," she mumbled, her mouth half-full with noodles.

The dark-haired boy chuckled. "Yes. Although Zabuza-sama will probably be here." His eyes brightened and he took a small and polite bite from his meal.

_Who's Zabuza?_ Sasuke almost wanted to ask, but he suspected it wasn't important.

The white-haired boy still said nothing, his eyes focused on his bowl as he slurped more of his noodles.

With not much else to say, they continued to eat. A few times, Naruto turned to talk with Utakata, but since they said nothing important, Sasuke ignored them. Sasuke had already heard everything he needed to know about ramen from Naruto. He needed no reminders.

"I'm done, sensei." The white-haired boy spoke a few minutes later. He pushed his empty bowl off to the side, staring at the counter without blinking. "May we return to the hotel soon? I'm tired."

"Oh, already?" Utakata asked. He stared down at his bowl, which was almost empty except for the broth, and shrugged. "Sure, we should get some rest. Are you two done, Haku, Kasumi?"

"Almost, sensei!" The girl shoved the last of her noodles in her mouth and drank the broth. She let out a satisfied sigh when her bowl was empty.

The dark-haired boy said nothing, but he shoved the last of the ramen into his mouth, making it look more graceful than it should have been possible. He chewed slowly, a picture of politeness. "I am finished, sensei," he answered, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin.

The man hummed to himself, looking at each of his students in the eye. "Well, in that case, I guess it's time for us to go." He turned his attention back to Naruto and Sasuke. "It was nice to meet you two. Hopefully, we'll bump into each other again soon." He dug into his pockets and pulled out some coins, placing them on the counter for Teuchi.

"Oh!" Naruto gulped, fidgeting with his chopsticks. "I guess I'll see you later, nii-san."

"Of course, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun." He smiled and placed an elbow on the counter and his cheek in the palm of his hand. "I'm sure we'll see each other again."

"Promise?" Naruto tensed, his hands clasping onto his chopsticks.

Utakata nodded. "Promise."

It was at that moment that Teuchi arrived with the man's change. After giving the chef his thanks, Utakata placed the change in his pocket and motioned for the three children to follow him.

"We'll see you around," the Kirigakure man said. He stood up and pulled back part of the curtain.

"Y-yeah! See ya!" Sasuke could tell that Naruto's voice was full of forced cheer.

"See you later, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun!" The girl waved at them with a grin. "It was nice talking to you! Maybe I'll try ramen with butter the next time we come here."

"You should!" Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest. "It's really good in winter, ya know!"

The girl laughed. "If you say." She grinned again. "Make sure to watch us at the finals! We'll blow you away!"

Naruto giggled. "We will," he promised.

The girl gave them all one last grin before walking past the curtain Utakata was holding. The two boys followed after her. The dark-haired boy bowed in their direction before leaving, a kind smile on his face. In contrast, the white-haired boy said nothing, following behind his teammates without a single glance back.

"Well, I'll see you around, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun." Utakata nodded before walking out.

"See you later, nii-san!" Naruto called out, giving the man a final wave.

"Good night," Sasuke said out of politeness. Anyone who was willing to talk to Naruto like any other person was worthy of respect.

Sasuke turned his attention back to his bowl and picked out the remaining toppings and noodles. He waited for Naruto to start talking about nonsense. Except...

Naruto said nothing.

Concerned by the silence, Sasuke glanced at Naruto. The other boy had stopped eating. Instead, he moved his chopsticks through what remained of his meal, staring into the broth. It was the quietest he had seen Naruto outside of their visits to the cemetery.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto refused to react, instead staring with a blank expression at the half-empty bowl in front of him.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked again, louder than before.

His friend snapped to attention, a pout on his face as he turned to Sasuke. "What is it, jerk?"

Sasuke frowned. _What's with him?_

"Nothing." He shook his head. "I'm almost done. What are you gonna order next?"

"Next?" Naruto blinked at him, seeming perplexed by the question.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You always get at least two bowls. What are you gonna order next?"

Naruto's frown deepened and he glared at the bowl in front of him. After a few seconds of consideration, he shook his head. "Nah, I don't think I want another bowl. I'm not hungry, ya know."

"You're... full?" Sasuke almost wanted to fall over in shock. While sometimes Naruto said he was full, that never happened until at least three bowls of ramen. Eating less than one full bowl was unthinkable.

Unaware of Sasuke's amazement, Naruto only nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm done. And you?"

Sasuke frowned down at his bowl. Only the broth remained. Still frowning, he nodded. "I guess. Should we... go then?"

Naruto grunted in assent, his eyes still staring off into space. "Yeah, let's go."

Unsure of what to say, Sasuke dug into his pockets for cash. Together with Naruto, he placed his money on the top counter and waited for Teuchi to bring back their change. Still, Naruto said nothing.

_Why isn't he talking? He's always talking! _Uncomfortable, Sasuke shifted in his seat.

"Here's your change, boys," Teuchi said, placing a few coins in front of them. "Are you going home now?"

Naruto nodded, his expression full of uncertainty as he stared into space. "Yes, Teuchi-san. See you later."

A small frown formed on the older man's forehead, but he said nothing of Naruto's uncharacteristic mood. "See you later, boys. Have a good night. Sleep well."

"Thank you, Teuchi-san." Sasuke nodded politely at the man, keeping an eye focused on his blond friend.

"Thank you," Naruto mumbled.

Frowning, Sasuke stood up and pulled back the curtain to leave the stall. Naruto followed after him in silence. He stared down at his toes, seeming unaware of everything going on around him. Side by side, they began to walk toward Sasuke's apartment, neither of them talking.

"Are we really going to see the chuunin exam finals?" Sasuke asked after a few minutes of walking, trying to break the strange tension in his friend.

Naruto shrugged, not meeting Sasuke's eyes. "I guess."

"We can see how real shinobi fight," Sasuke continued, trying to get Naruto to speak up. "It's probably different than the sparring we do."

Naruto hummed, eyes fixed upon his feet as he walked.

Sasuke felt his stomach twist over itself in worry._ Naruto's never like this. What's wrong with him?_

"That man, Utakata, seemed to like you."

At that, Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, eyes open in panic. "How do you— Oh... right." He gulped and looked back at the ground. "I guess he does."

_What do I say now?_ Sasuke had nothing to say; it was Naruto who always took the lead in the conversation. He frowned to himself as he tried to understand what was wrong. They said nothing else as they climbed up the stairs to Sasuke's apartment.

It was only after Sasuke had let them in and taken off his shoes, that Naruto burst into tears.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke asked, keys still in his hand.

Naruto covered his face with the palms of his hands and sobbed harder at the mention of his name. He ran toward the sofa, where he collapsed face-down, weeping into the couch cushions.

"Naruto?" Sasuke repeated, placing the keys on the key hanger before walking toward Naruto. "What's wrong?"

Naruto didn't answer, shaking his head as he buried his face deeper into the cushions.

Sasuke gulped, forcing himself to take a step closer. Naruto never cried without a reason.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, sitting on the sofa's armrest. He hesitated for a second before placing one hand on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto shuddered at the physical contact but he didn't move away or say anything. He continued to sob into the sofa cushions, his face hidden away. Concerned, Sasuke patted him awkwardly.

He waited.

After what felt like hours, Naruto's sobs turned into sniffling and he stopped crying. Yet, despite calming down, he kept his face buried into the cushions.

Sasuke patted Naruto's shoulder again, unsure of what else to do. _What did Mom use to do whenever I cried?_

"Do you want some water?" Sasuke asked, squeezing Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto nodded into the cushion.

"Hn." Sasuke headed to the kitchen and filled up a glass with water before walking back to Naruto's side. "Here you go."

Naruto sniffled one more time. Avoiding looking at Sasuke, he sat up. With a muttered thanks, he accepted the glass of water and took a small sip. Still avoiding Sasuke's gaze, he placed the glass on the coffee table in front of them.

With a frown, Sasuke sat next to Naruto on the sofa. Naruto turned his face away, staring at the wall with his back to Sasuke.

"Naruto?" Sasuke began.

Naruto pulled his legs up close to his body, his face turned away. He grunted in acknowledgment but said nothing.

"What was that about?" Sasuke asked. "Is something wrong?"

At the question, Naruto hugged his legs and hid his face inside his crossed arms. He shook his head but remained silent. What little was visible of his face was pink— in sadness or mortification, Sasuke couldn't tell.

Sasuke swallowed. "Is it about the man from Kirigakure?" he guessed.

Naruto hesitated for a second before nodding into his crossed arms.

"What's the deal with him?"

He waited, watching as Naruto considered his question. After a few seconds, he lifted his head up from his crossed arms. He still refused to meet Sasuke's eyes, biting his lip and looking away.

"He... he was really nice to me," Naruto mumbled. "That doesn't happen a lot. And when he said goodbye... I felt like..." he swallowed. "I felt like I'd never see him again, ya know."

Sasuke frowned. "What do you mean? Didn't you two say you would talk later?"

Naruto shook his head. "I know but even so. It felt like if we said goodbye, it would be the last time we saw each other."

"Last... time?" Sasuke frowned, understanding nothing of what Naruto said. "Why would you care about someone you only just met?"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess cause he was nice to me," he mumbled. "Not a lot of people are nice to me, ya know."

Sasuke got the impression Naruto was making up excuses but he had no desire to call Naruto out. Unsure what else to do, he tried to comfort Naruto again, placing a hesitant hand on his shoulder. Naruto leaned into the comfort, scooting closer to Sasuke.

Sasuke squeezed Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll see him again," he said. "He'll be in Konoha for a while longer, right?"

"Right." Naruto sniffled again before leaning forward and taking the glass of water in his hands. "It's not forever." He took a sip of water. "Yeah... not forever."

Sasuke swallowed unsure what to say. There was something he was missing. Something he didn't understand. Something special. He squeezed Naruto's shoulder again.

For the first time he could remember, he didn't understand Naruto at all.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I wish I could say I was busy or doing something important and that's why the chapter took so long. The truth is that I was doing a lot of side quests in The Witcher 3. Oops.**

**If you wish to contact me, I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**

**Thank you Morket for being super nice and a great beta reader.**

**I borrowed the characters of Takanome Hyuuga from "**_**Bird's Eye View**_**" by DarkUnicorn6666 and Kioshi Ito from "**_**aphelion**_**" by uchiwan.**

**Next chapter: talks over drinks.**


End file.
